Am.  Jour.  Pharm  \ 
Aug.,  1879.  J 
Bidara  Laut. 
order  Loganiaceae,  and  the  suppositions  previously  quoted  that  the 
source  of  the  wood  was  a  Rhamnaceous  or  Simarubaceous  plant  are 
incorrect. 
The  qualitative  analysis  of  the  drug  for  strychnia  and  brucia  was 
carried  out  as  follows: 
4*6  grams  of  the  bark,  carefully  separated  from  the  hard  wood  and 
powdered,  were  macerated  in  100  cc.  of  water  acidulated  with  20  drops 
of  dilute  sulphuric  acid  (1  in  5)  at  a  temperature  of  about  500  to  6o°C. 
for  24  hours,  and  the  fluid  then  filtered  off" ;  the  maceration  was 
repeated  for  a  shorter  period  of  four  hours,  and  again  filtered,  and  the 
filtrates  and  wash  water  united.  This  liquid,  amounting  in  all  to  about 
250  cc,  was  shaken  with  freshly-rectified  benzin  (about  50  cc),  and 
after  the  mixture  had  separated  into  two  layers,  the  lower  aqueous  still 
acid  layer  was  removed,  made  alkaline  with  ammonia  and  again  shaken 
with  benzin.  This  benzin  solution,  after  separation  and  filtration,, 
yielded,  on  evaporation  in  watch-g'asses,  alkaloid  in  considerable  quan- 
tity, in  very  nearly  colorless  amorphous  transparent  drops,  perfectly 
soluble  in  acidulated  water.  A  portion  of  the  alkaloid  was  dissolved 
in  sulphuric  acid  (of  the  constitution  H2S04H20)  and  a  small  quantity 
of  nitric  acid  added,  when  the  characteristic  brucia  reaction  made  its 
appearance.  After  the  orange  color  so  produced  had  faded  to  pale 
yellow  the  strychnia  was  tested  for  by  means  of  oxide  of  cerium  (Ce304)~ 
No  trace  could  be  found.  The  experiment  was  repeated  with  like 
result.  A  control  experiment  with  commercial  brucia,  impure  from 
the  presence  of  strychnia,  yielded  at  once  a  splendid  strychnia  reaction- 
All  brucia  reactions  succeeded  perfectly. 
The  wood  was  tested  in  precisely  similar  manner,  with  similar  results^ 
The  quantity  of  alkaloid  present,  however,  was  notably  less. 
The  quantity  of  brucia  in  the  bark  appearing  considerable,  it  was 
thought  an  estimation  of  the  amount  present  in  it  and  in  the  wood 
might  prove  interesting.    This  was  made  as  follows: 
2*0463  grams  of  the  scraped  and  finely-powdered  wood  were  boiled 
with  successive  portions  of  water,  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid,  until 
the  residue  was  free  from  bitterness.  This  was  effected  by  three 
boilings  with  75  cc.  and  one  with  25  cc  The  united  filtrates  were 
nearly  neutralized  with  solution  of  soda  and  evaporated  on  a  water  bath 
to  a  small  bulk  (25  cc).    The  liquid  having  deposited  resinous  matter,, 
was  filtered  off,  the  precipitate  washed  and  tested  free  from  alkaloid.. 
