AQUA  NICOTIANS 
251 
The  pulling  of  the  flowers  is  accomplished  very  rapidly,  as  the 
flower-heads  are  very  easily  separated  from  the  stalks,  and  by 
simply  plucking  they  can  be  gathered  almost  entirely  free  from 
the  pedicels. 
The  price  varies  greatly  in  different  years,  ranging  from  1  to  , 
20  newgroschen  per  pound  of  dry  flowers.  The  usual  price  is 
from  4  to  6  newgroschen.  The  trade  in  them  is  carried  on 
chiefly  through  Madgeburg  and  Hamburg  with  Portugal,  Spain, 
Italy,  Greece,  Turkey,  Syria,  Egypt,  the  East  Indies,  and  North 
America.  It  yields  a  profit  of  more  than  300  per  cent.  In 
1865,  in  consequence  of  the  outbreak  of  the  cholera  in  the  South 
of  Europe,  and  the  extraordinary  demand  occasioned  thereby, 
the  producers  received  40  thalers  per  hundred-weight  for  a  good 
article,  and  certain  growers,  by  reason  of  the  favorable  weather, 
obtained  about  200  thalers  per  acre  clear  profit. —  Wittsieins 
Vierteljahr.  Oct.,  1867. — G.  J.  S. 
AQUA  NICOTIANS. 
By  J.  S.  Unziker,  M.D.,  Cincinnati. 
Take  of  fresh  green  tobacco  leaves  eight  pounds,  cut  them  and 
add  alcohol  one  and  a  half  pounds ;  water  sufficient ;  mix  and 
distil  eight  pounds. 
Care  must  be  taken  that  the  leaves  do  not  become  heated  by 
being  tied  up  in  bundles,  as  this  would  impair  the  preparation 
and  impart  to  it  the  odor  of  tobacco.  The  leaves  should  be  taken 
just  before  the  plant  begins  to  bloom,  and  should  then  be  worked 
up  as  soon  as  possible;  for  when  the  leaves  once  become  spotted, 
the  preparation  assumes  more  or  less  the  poisonous  effects  of 
dried  tobacco,  which  is  not  the  case  if  freshly  prepared. 
This  remedy  was  first  introduced  in  Germany  by  Dr.  J.  G. 
Rademacher,  and  if  prepared  as  above  stated  can  be  given  with 
perfect  safety  to  the  smallest  child,  without  any  of  the  injurious 
effects  produced  by  dried  tobacco.  From  this  I  judge  that  nico- 
tin  is  not  developed  and  communicated  to  the  distillate  as  long 
as  the  leaves  are  fresh.  For  the  last  eighteen  years  I  have  used 
the  aqua  nicotinse  with  the  best  results  in  the  first  stages  of  pneu- 
monia and  fevers  generally.  It  reduces  the  pulse  promptly,  the 
same  time  acting  as  a  strong  diaphoretic,  making  it  especially 
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