Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
June,  1891. 
} American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  313 
of  silver  nitrate,  and  at  the  close  of  the  operation  determining  excess  of  silver 
by  sodium  chloride. 
Scheme  to  establish  a  comparative  standard  for  alkaloidal  galenicals.  The 
interest  in  the  reading  of  this  paper  was  enhanced  by  its  author,  Prof.  J.  U. 
Lloyd,  performing  the  process  experimentally  with  fluid  extracts  of  guarana 
and  of  nux  vomica,  and  demonstrating  that  its  execution  requires  no  special 
apparatus  and  merely  ordinary  skill,  and  that  the  process  is  quickly  performed 
and  yields  the  alkaloids  colorless  or  white.  The  outlines  of  the  process  are 
as  follows  :  5  cc.  of  fluid  extract  are  mixed,  in  a  mortar,  with  an  excess  (1  or 
2  cc.)  of  pharmacopoeial  solution  of  ferric  chloride,  and  sodium  bicarbonate, 
in  powder,  is  then  added  with  constant  agitation  until  a  stiff  magma  results  ; 
this  magma  is  then  triturated  with  successive  portions  of  chloroform  (about  20, 
then  10  cc,  etc.)  (tannin,  coloring  matters,  gums,  proteins,  etc.,  are  left 
undissolved),  and  the  chloroformic  solution,  which  readily  separates  from  the 
magma,  is  decanted  and  evaporated,  when  the  pure  alkaloids  will  be  left,  and 
are  weighed  as  such.  Preparations  containing  fats  or  chlorophyll  will  yield 
the  alkaloids  contaminated  with  these  principles  ;  for  purification  the  residue 
is  dissolved  in  excess  of  dilute  sulphuric  acid  ;  the  solution  agitated  with 
ether,  which  will  remove  fat  and  chlorophyll  ;  the  aqueous  liquid  then 
rendered  alkaline  with  ammonia,  and  the  alkaloids  taken  up  by  agitation 
with  chloroform. 
A  somewhat  similar  process  was  recommeded  by  Loesch  in  1879  (see  AmKr. 
Jour.  Pharm.,  1880,  p.  15),  in  which  the  aqueous  solution  of  the  extract  is 
mixed  with  alum,  the  mixture  rendered  alkaline  with  ammonia,  then  evapo- 
rated to  dryness,  and  the  powdered  residue  treated  with  solvents  for  the 
alkaloids.  The  differences  in  the  two  processes  and  the  greater  simplicity 
in  the  manipulation  in  the  former  are  very  apparent. 
Professor  Lloyd  regards  the  following  as  average  yields  from  good  fluid 
extracts  : 
Per  Cent.  Per  Cent.  Per  Cent. 
Aconite  root,    .  .  .   0-40  Coca,    ....   0  50  Ipecacuanha,  .  1*50 
Belladonna  leaves,  .   0-40  Guarana,  .  .  .   3  to  4        Nux  vomica,  .  1*50 
Belladonna  root,  .  .   0*50  Hyoscyamus,  .  0*20 
It  is  obvious  that  in  the  above  scheme  ether  may  be  substituted  for  the 
chloroform,  if  desirable.  The  statement  made,  that  the  process  was  not 
adapted  for  opium  preparations,  elicited  the  suggestion  that,  possibly,  all  the 
opium  alkaloids,  with  the  exception  of  morphine,  could  thus  be  removed,  and 
that  morphine  might,  possibly,  be  extracted  from  the  residue  by  some  suit- 
able solvent  and  thus  be  ofotained  free  from  contamination  with  other  alka- 
loids or  coloring  matter. 
A  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  to  the  author  for  the  interesting  paper  and  the 
clear  manner  in  which  the  demonstration  of  the  process  had  been  shown. 
Oil  of  Camphor  as  a?i  adulterant  was  presented  by  Prof.  Stevens,  the  aim  of 
the  paper  being  its  detection  when  mixed  with  other  volatile  oils. 
The  preservation  of  mucilage  of  acacia  was  the  subject  of  a  brief  paper  by  H. 
Tiarks. 
Louisiana  Perique  tobacco  was  described  by  Prof.  Metz,  as  to  cultivation, 
curing  and  preparation  for  the  market,  the  product  being  about  19,000  pounds  ; 
it  is  one  of  the  strongest  tobaccos,  containing  about  8  per  cent,  of  nicotine. 
