Chestnut  Leaves. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Phann. 
\     Nov.,  1879. 
water  and  afterward  with  a  mixture  consisting  of  6  fluidrachms  each 
of  alcohol,  ether  and  water,  dry  the  residue  and  weigh. 
This  gives  a  product  entirely  soluble  in  caustic  potassa,  and  is 
therefore  nearly  pure  morphia. 
From  a  specimen  of  opium,  which  I  examined  the  past  summer,  I 
obtained,  from  200  grains,  21  grains  of  morphia,  giving  a  full  10  per 
cent,  of  morphia.  At  the  same  time  I  tried  three  other  processes,  but 
none  gave  better  satisfaction  than  the  one  just  described.  The  following 
is  a  comparison  :  200  grains  of  the  opium  yielded,  by  Rother's  process, 
21  grains  ;  Staples'  process  (U.  S.  P.),  18  grains  ;  Petit's  process,  20*5 
grains,  and  by  Fordos'  process  ("Airier.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1858,  p.  47),  20 
grains  product. 
We  see  that  Rother's  gives  a  rather  larger  percentage  of  morphia 
than  Petit's,  and  meets  the  objection  as  stated  against  the  latter  in  the 
outset. 
Neuo 'com erst 'own,  O.,  Oct.  17,  1879. 
CHESTNUT  LEAVES. 
By  John  B.Turner,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  leaves  collected  in  September  were  first  exhausted  by  petroleum 
benzin.    On  evaporation  of  the  solution  a  fatty  residue  was  obtained, 
sparingly  soluble  in  alcohol  and  freely  soluble  in  ether.  The  residue  of  the 
first  maceration  was  then  exhausted  with  ether.   This  solvent,  like  the 
benzin,  extracted  chlorophyll,  but  gave  no  reactions  indicating  the  pre- 
sence of  resin.    The  solution  obtained  by  treating  the  leaves  with 
alcohol  contains,  besides  chlorophyll,  gallic  and  tannic  acids.  The 
infusion  contains  tannin,  as  is  shown  by  a  greenish-black  precipitate 
with  ferric  chloride,  and  also  by  a  precipitate  being  produced  on  the 
addition  of  gelatin.    The  tannin  being  all  separated  by  the  addition  of 
gelatin  and  filtration,  neutral  ferric  chloride  was  added  :  a  bluish-black 
precipitate  fell,  the  color  of  which  disappeared  on  the  application  of 
heat ;  the  presence  of  gallic  acid  was  thus  proven  (?  Editor).  Gum 
was  indicated  by  alcohol  giving  a  precipitate  soluble  in  excess  of  water. 
This  gum  is  peculiar,  not  gelatinizing  with  solution  of  ferric  chloride 
or  sodium  borate.    Iodine  failed  to  show  the  presence  of  starch.  The 
gum  was  also  precipitated  by  solution  of  subacetate  of  lead.  The 
