.Am.  Jour.  Pharm. "! 
January,  1898.  j 
Acetone  as  a  Solvent. 
21 
These  experiments  show  that,  though  great  care  was  exercised  in 
the  treatment  of  the  residue,  the  action  of  the  sulphuric  acid  de- 
creases the  delicacy  of  the  reaction,  so  that  although  yorlhnr 
of 
a  milligram  was  detected  in  the  original  solution,  after  heating  with 
sulphuric  acid,  only  y^j^-g-  of  a  milligram  was  detected.  After 
the  treatment  with  sulphuric  acid  and  the  shaking  out  with  chloro- 
form, it  was  not  possible  to  find  the  strychnine  except  in  a  solution 
that  contained  \\§  of  a  milligram.  It  is  evident  that  the  treat- 
ment with  sulphuric  acid  does  diminish  the  delicacy,  but  that  is 
not  so  large  a  diminution  probably  as  the  process  of  shaking  out 
with  chloroform.  Although  chloroform  is  an  excellent  solvent  for 
strychnine,  one  part  being  soluble  in  eight  parts  of  this  menstruum, 
still  so  much  of  the  strychnine  is  still  retained  in  the  organic  matter 
that  the  portion  that  can  be  obtained  from  the  chloroform  solution 
is  only  a  fraction  of  that  which  was  originally  present.  It  is  proba- 
ble that  by  more  perfect  extraction  with  chloroform,  a  greater  quan- 
tity of  strychnine  can  be  obtained;  but  the  experiments  described 
above  are  made  especially  to  show  what  will  be  the  result,  if  the 
ordinary  methods  of  extraction  are  followed. 
ON  THE  USE  OF  ACETONE  AS  A  SOLVENT  IN  PRE- 
PARING THE  OFFICIAL  RESINS. 
By  Edward  T.  Hahn. 
Acetone  is  a  good  solvent  for  many  organic  substances,  and  is 
probably  destined  to  replace  alcohol  and  ether  in  many  analytical 
and  pharmaceutical  processes.  It  is  cheaper  than  either  of  these 
solvents.  It  is  much  more  easily  recovered  from  solutions  than  is 
alcohol.  The  loss  through  imperfect  condensation  in  recovering  it 
from  solutions  is  less  than  that  experienced  with  ether,  and  beside  this 
advantage,  acetone  is  not  so  inflammable  as  that  very  volatile  fluid. 
A  few  years  ago,  Mr.  George  M.  Beringer1  found  that  acetone 
could  be  satisfactorily  used  instead  of  ether  for  preparing  the  official 
oleoresins. 
Later,  in  a  paper  on  the  preparation  of  the  oak  tannins,  Messrs. 
Trimble  and  Peacock2  showed  that  acetone  could  be  employed  to 
1  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  1892  ;  145. 
2  American  Journal,  of  Pharmacy,  1893;  435. 
