Am.  Jour.  Phakm.  \ 
Feb.  1, 1871.  J 
Purgative  action  of  Aloes. 
67 
the  dregs,  and  these  well  washed  with  hot  water.  The  filtrate  slightly 
acidulated  with  muriatic  acid  was  evaporated  to  half  a  fluid  ounce, 
mixed  with  its  bulk  of  alcohol  and  filtered  ;  an  excess  of  alcoholic 
ammonia  was  added  and  mixed,  and  the  vessel  set  aside  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  colored  crystalline  powder  and  the  portion  attached 
as  a  crust  to  the  interior,  were  carefully  collected  on  a  filter,  washed, 
dried  and  weighed,  affording  ten  grains  of  impure  morphia,  more 
colored  than  either  of  the  other  results. 
The  use  of  alcohol  in  this  process  is  intended  to  retain  the  coloring 
matter,  yet  did  not  succeed  in  producing  a  light-colored  morphia. 
The  last  result,  according  to  Mohr,  should  contain  no  narcotina^ 
yet  when  boiled  to  exhaustion  in  ether  deprived  of  alcohol,  the 
ethereal  liquid  afforded  0*75  grain  of  narcotina,  making  the  result 
of  morphia  9-25  per  cent.,  and  narcotina  0"75  per  cent. 
It  will  appear,  by  a  comparison  of  these  results,  that  the  Staples 
process,  whilst  less  complicated  than  either  of  the  others,  yields  a 
purer  product  than  the  Mohr  process,  and  a  slightly  larger  yield  of 
morphia  ;  whilst  the  process  No.  2,  which  is  suggested  by  the  writer, 
affords  the  purest  and  best  crystallized  morphia,  but  is  more  compli- 
cated than  either  of  the  others.  Hence,  it  is  the  first,  or  Staples' 
process,  that  is  to  be  preferred,  modified  by  treating  the  powdered 
opium  with  warm  benzine  as  a  preliminary  operation.  The  final  suc- 
cess is  greatly  aided  by  conducting  the  evaporation  of  the  liquor  at  a 
moderate  temperature,  which  renders  the  product  less  contaminated 
with  coloring  matter.  By  reducing  the  bulk  before  precipitation  to 
the  extent  noted  above,  the  precipitation  of  the  morphia  is  facilitated, 
whilst  the  crystals  are  equally  light  colored.  By  using  benzine  be- 
forehand the  extraction  of  the  opium  will  be  more  thoroughly  accom- 
plished.— Froc.  Amer.  Pliarm,  Assoc.,  1870. 
THE  PURGATIVE  ACTION  OF  ALOES. 
By  T.  and  H.  Smith. 
In  the  19th  number  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  there  is  pub- 
lished the  report  of  a  paper  read  by  Mr.  William  Tilden,  B.  Sc.,  before 
the  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference  at  Liverpool,  entitled  "  A  few 
Notes  on  Aloes."*  In  this  paper  Mr.  Tilden  gives  some  very  valuable 
*  See  page  34  Amer.  Jonrn.  Pharm.,  Jan.  1870. 
