298 
PHARMACY  OF  THE  CINCHONAS. 
before.  When  again  drained  pour  upon  it  2  fluidounces  of  alco- 
hol, half  a  fluidounce  at  a  time,  and  then  wait  until  it  has  ceased 
to  drop  into  the  flask. 
The  whole  of  the  alkaloids  of  the  Cinchona,  within  practically 
useful  limits,  are  now  in  solution  in  this  alcohol,  and  the  alco- 
hol, having  performed  its  office,  is  now  in  the  way.  It  may 
be  evaporated  off  in  the  basin  in  a  water  bath,  or  it  may  be  re- 
covered and  saved  for  future  use  by  adapting  a  perforated  cork 
and  tube  to  the  flask,  and  connecting  the  tube  by  India-rubber 
tubing  with  any  regular  or  extemporized  condensing  apparatus, 
and  then  immersing  the  flask  in  the  water  bath.  By  far  the 
most  simple  way  for  inexperienced  persons,  or  those  whose  atten- 
tion has  to  be  divided  by  other  occupations,  is  to  waste  the 
alcohol  by  evaporation  in  the  basin  by  a  water  bath,  avoiding 
any  violent  boiling  by  which  portions  of  the  liquid  may  be 
thrown  out  and  lost.  When  evaporated  down  to  about  1  fluid- 
ounce,  or  until  the  odor  of  alcohol  is  no  longer  discernable, 
and  the  water  of  the  bath  boiling,  add  first  2  fluidounces  of  water 
and  then  half  a  fluidounce  of  a  previously  made  mixture  of  half 
a  fluidrachm  of  sulphuric  acid  with  half  a  fluidounce  of  water.  Be- 
fore this  addition  the  basin  will  contain  a  milky  liquid,  with  sepa- 
rated resinous-looking  particles  floating  around  or  adherent  to  the 
basin  around  the  edges  of  the  milky  liquid,  of  a  soft  consist- 
ence while  the  liquid  is  hot,  but  becoming  first  tough  and  then 
resinous  if  the  liquid  be  allowed  to  cool.  This  is  a  mixture  of 
the  fused  alkaloids  with  fatty  matter,  etc.  When  the  diluted 
acid  is  added  the  liquid  at  once  becomes  clear  and  transparent, 
of  a  pale  sherry  color,  and  fluorescent.  The  whole  must  now 
be  heated  and  stirred  with  a  glass  rod  until  the  resinous  masses 
are  thoroughly  dissolved  or  disintegrated  and  nothing  but  inso- 
luble residue,  mostly  flocculent,  is  to  be  seen,  and  this  floating 
lightly  through  the  liquid  or  adherent  as  greasy  matter  to  the 
basin.  The  basin  is  then  removed  from  the  bath  or  lamp  and 
allowed  to  become  perfectly  cold,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  sepa- 
ration of  the  fatty  matter,  etc.  A  four-inch  round  filter  is  then 
moistened  with  water  and  adjusted  in  the  funnel,  and  the  solu- 
tion of  the  sulphate  of  the  mixed  alkaloids  is  filtered  through 
into  a  4  or  6  fluidounce  beaker.    When  all  the  solution  has 
