8  Alkaloids  of  Veratrum  Viride  and  Album.  {Km']°™^™' 
The  second  ether  extract  of  the  veratria  furnished  the  alkaloid  in  a 
sufficiently  pure  state  to  yield  very  satisfactory  results  with  the  sulphuric 
acid  test. 
The  final  residue  of  the  jervia,  consisted  of  a  mass  of  crystals  of  the 
alkaloid. 
The  Blood. — Seven  drachms  of  blood  were  recovered  from  this 
animal.  This  fluid  was  treated  with  six  drops  acetic  acid,  its  own 
volume  of  alcohol  and  a  somewhat  larger  quantity  of  water,  and  the 
whole  violently  agitated  for  some  minutes  in  a  bottle. 
The  mixture,  transferred  to  a  dish,  was  digested  at  a  moderate  heat, 
then  strained,  and  the  solids  washed.  The  strained  liquid  was  concen- 
trated, again  strained,  and  these  operations  repeated  until  the  liquid  was 
reduced  to  about  half  a  fluidounce,  when  it  was  filtered. 
The  filtrate,  after  addition  of  carbonate  sodium,  was  extracted  with 
about  an  equal  volume  of  ether,  and  this  liquid  evaporated,  small 
portions  at  a  time,  in  a  small  capsule.  A  careful  examination  of  the 
residue  left  by  the  ether,  failed  to  discover  any  crystals.  But  on  treat- 
ing the  residue  with  a  few  drops  of  diluted  alcohol,  and  gently  evapo- 
rating the  liquid,  a  number  of  small  crystals  and  crystalline  groups,  of 
the  forms  shown  in  the  lower  portion  of  Fig.  I,  were  found  in  the 
resinous  or  outer  portion  of  the  deposit. 
The  central  portion  of  the  deposit  was  now  dissolved  by  treating  it 
with  a  very  small  quantity  of  water  acidulated  with  acetic  acid, — care 
being  taken  not  to  disturb  the  resinous  portion  of  the  deposit.  For 
detaching  and  effecting  solution  of  the  deposit  in  this  operation,  a  small 
feather,  or,  better  still,  a  small  flattened  pencil  of  rubber  in  a  glass 
handle,  will  be  found  useful.  The  quantity  of  the  alkaloids  present 
under  these  conditions,  is  too  minute  to  permit  of  separation  in  the 
manner  previously  described.  But  as  the  jervia  is  rather  readily  taken 
up  by  the  acidulated  water,  whilst  the  veratria,  as  deposited,  is  but 
slowly  acted  upon  by  the  liquid — they  may  in  very  great  part  be  thus 
separated. 
The  liquid,  which  now  contained  the  greater  part  of  any  jervia 
present,  was  decanted,  treated  with  a  little  carbonate  sodium,  and  the, 
mixture  extracted  with  ether,  which  on  evaporation  left  an  amorphous 
residue.  On  moistening  this  with  a  few  drops  of  diluted  alcohol,  and 
evaporating  the  liquid,  the  residue,  distributed  over  a  space  nearly  an 
inch  in  diameter,  was  found  to  consist  of  a  mass  of  small  crystals  of 
iervia,  of  the  forms  and  as  thickly  distributed  as  shown  in  Fig.  4. 
