4 
Alkaloids  of  Veratrum  Viride  and  Album.  {Am-  jZ'Ifr™' 
The  ether  employed  in  most  of  the  present  examinations  was  of  sp. 
gr.  0.725. 
The  ether  employed  for  the  above  extractions,  is  allowed  to  evapo- 
rate, small  portions  at  a  time,  in  a  rather  deep,  thin  glass  capsule,  and 
the  resulting  residue  dried  in  a  water-oven. 
The  outer  or  upper  portion  of 
the  residue  thus  obtained,  will  con- 
sist chiefly  of  the  veratria,  in  the 
form  of  a  transparent,  more  or  less 
yellowish,  vitreous  mass,  in  which, 
under  the  microscope,  may  be 
found  some  scattered  crystals  of 
jervia  :  in  drying,  this  portion  of 
the  deposit  generally  separates,  in 
part  at  least,  from  the  sides  of  the 
capsule,  in  the  form  of  transparent 
scales.  The  central  or  inner  por- 
tion of  the  deposit  will  consist 
FIG.  I.     JERVIA,  FROM    ETHERIAL  SOLU-  ... 
tion.    30  diam.  chiefly  of  the  jervia,  in  the  form 
of  bold  groupes  of  crystals.  Fig.  1.  About  two  grains  or  something 
more  of  residue  will  be  obtained  for  each  fluid  ounce  of  the  fluid 
extracts  employed. 
For  the  separation  of  the  alkaloids,  the  dried  residue  is  treated  with 
a  little  water  strongly  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid  (1:10),  which 
will  readily  dissolve  the  veratria,  whilst  the  jervia  will  be  converted 
into  the  insoluble  chloride.  The  quantity  of  acidulated  water  thus 
employed  may  be  in  the  proportion  of  about  a  fluid  drachm  for  every 
two  grains  of  residue. 
This  mixture  is  transferred  to  a  small,  moistened  filter,  and,  if 
necessary,  the  filtrate  returned  to  the  capsule  until  the  whole  of  the 
insoluble  matter  is  transferred  to  the  filter,  which  is  finally  washed 
with  a  little  acidulated  water,  and  reserved  for  the  recovery  of  the 
jervia. 
The  alkaloid  in  the  filtrate  may  be  further  purified  by  washing  the 
acid  solution  with  ether,  precipitating  by  sodium  carbonate,  and  then 
either  taking  up  the  precipitate  by  ether  or  collecting  it  on  a  filter  and 
washing,  these  operations  being  repeated,  if  necessary.  On  precipitating 
with  sodium  carbonate,  a  notable  quantity  of  the  alkaloid  remains  in 
solution,  and  may  be  recovered  in  a  quite  pure  state,  by  extracting  the 
