Am"septr;Sarm'}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  447 
alcohol,  taken  up  with  a  mixture  of  5  cc.  each  of  water,  alcohol 
and  10  per  cent,  aqua  ammoniae  and  this  solution  extracted  three 
times  with  20,  10  and  10  cc.  chloroform  respectively.  The  chloro- 
form is  distilled  off,  the  residue,  freed  from  ammonia  by  heating  on 
a  waterbath,  is  dissolved  in  15  cc.  ^n  hydrochloric  acid,  the  solution 
warmed  for  5  minutes  on  a  waterbath,  filtered,  the  filter  washed  with 
hot  water  until  the  washings  are  free  from  acidity  and  the  excess  of 
acid  determined  with  T^~g-n  soda  solution.  By  subtracting  the 
required  cc.  of  NaOH  from  150,  the  number  of  cc.  of  y^n  HQ 
required  to  neutralize  the  alkaloids  in  10  gm.  seeds  is  obtained. 
1  cc.  T^n  HC1  corresponds  to  o-oc>367g  alkaloid  assuming  strych- 
nine and  brucine  to  be  present  in  equal  proportion.  In  ten  deter- 
minations the  results  varied  between  217  per  cent,  and  2-38  percent. 
Nux  vomica  obtained  from  different  countries  were  examined  to 
ascertain  the  alkaloidal  percentages :  Bombay,  2  samples,  2-  33  and 
2-30  per  cent. ;  Malabar,  1  sample,  2  62  per  cent.;  Cochin,  3  sam- 
ples, 2-51  per  cent,  2-41  per  cent,  and  2-8 1  per  cent.;  Madras,  2 
samples,  3-42  per  cent,  and  1-53  per  cent.;  Calcutta,  1  sample,  2-40 
per  cent. 
Extract  of  Nux  Vomica  is  assayed  by  dissolving  2  gm.  of  the 
extract  in  5  cc.  each  of  water  and  water  of  ammonia  and  10  cc. 
alcohol  and  agitating  with  chloroform,  etc.,  as  above. 
Tincture  of  Nux  Vomica. — 50  cc.  are  evaporated  to  dryness  and 
proceeded  with  under  the  extract. 
To  determine  relative  percentages  of  brucine  and  strychnine,  the 
total  alkaloids  must  be  purified;  this  is  accomplished  by  evaporating 
the  solution  of  the  mixed  alkaloids  from  the  total  alkaloid  estimation 
to  dryness  after  addition  of  some  ammonia,  dissolving  the  residue  in 
alcohol  with  the  aid  of  heat,  filtering,  evaporating  to  dryness,  redis- 
solving  in  water  containing  HC1,  adding  %  alcohol  to  the  solution, 
and  an  excess  of  ammonia  and  agitating  with  three  portions  of 
chloroform  of  20,  10  and  10  cc.  respectively.  The  residue  from  the 
chloroform  solutions  is  taken  up  with  -^n  HC1  and  its  excess 
determined  with  j-J^n  NaOH.  From  the  quantity  of  acid  required 
the  total  alkaloid  remaining  after  purification  is  calculated.  The 
solution  is  evaporated  to  25  cc,  strongly  acidulated  with  HC1,  and 
then  precipitated  with  a  one  per  cent,  solution  of  potassium 
ferrocyanide  (the  value  of  which  has  been  definitely  ascertained  by 
use  of  a  weighed  quantity  of  strychnine)  until  a  drop  of  the  solution 
