506 
DOES  NICOTINA  EXIST  IN  GREEN  TOBACCO? 
1.  Four  ounces  of  green  tobacco  leaves  were  sliced  and  bruised, 
mixed  with  four  ounces  of  alcohol,  allowed  to  macerate  36  hours 
and  expressed.  The  alcohol  was  removed  by  evaporating  the 
liquid  to  two  fluid  ounces,  an  excess  of  magnesia  was  added  to 
to  set  nicotina  free,  if  present.  The  filtered  liquor  was  quite 
dark  colored  and  strongly  odorous,  narcotic,  but  different  from 
that  of  ordinary  tobacco.  This  liquid  was  poured  into  a  distil- 
latory apparatus  and  three-fourths  of  the  liquid  drawn  over  by 
distillation.  The  distillate  had  a  slight  yellowish  tint,  was  strong- 
ly odorous,  much  like  that  obtained  from  the  seed,  yet  not  the 
sames  It  had  an  alkaline  reaction  with  test  papers,  and  its  odor 
disappeared  in  great  measures  by  saturation  with  an  acid.  The 
distilled  liquid  afforded  the  following  reactions  with  tests  : — 1.  It 
was  precipitated  white  by  tannic  acid,  and  hence  was  not  ammo- 
nia. 2.  White  by  acetate  of  lead.  3.  White  by  corrosive  sub- 
limate. 4.  Brownish  yellow,  insoluble  in  an  excess,  by  aqueous 
solution  of  iodine.  5.  A  yellowish  precipitate  by  terchloride  of 
gold.  6.  A  brown  precipitate  by  sesqui-chloride  of  iron.  7. 
Acetate  of  copper,  a  blue  precipitate. 
2.  Eight  ounces  of  the  leaves,  perfectly  fresh,  were  sliced  and 
bruised,  mixed  with  half  their  weight  of  alcohol  containing  16 
drops  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  left  for  three  days,  when  the  liquid 
was  expressed,  evaporated  to  four  fluid  ounces,  saturated  with 
magnesia  and  filtered.  The  liquid  was  then  distilled  till  four- 
fifths  had  passed.  The  distillate  was  now  tested  parallel  with  a 
solution  of  nicotina,  the  strength  of  which,  though  dilute,  was 
probably  greater  than  that  obtained  in  the  experiment ;  besides, 
it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  distillate  could  not  claim  to 
be  a  pure  solution.    It  was  decidedly  alkaline  to  test  papers. 
Alkaline  distillate  from  green  Tobacco.  Solution  of  Nicotina. 
1.  Tannic  acid  produced  a  white  pre-  1.  Tannic  acid  caused  a  white  pre- 
cipitate, soluble  in  acetic  acid.  cipitate  dissolved  by  acetic  acid. 
2.  Corrosive  sublimate  occasioned  a  2.  Corrosive  sublimate  caused  a 
white  precipitate.  white  precipitate. 
8.  Acetate  of  lead  caused  a  white  3.  Acetate  of  lead  produced  a  white 
precipitate.  precipitate. 
4.  Sesquichloride  of  iron,  not  in  ex-  4.  Sesquichloride  of  iron,  when  nico- 
cess,  a  brown  precipitate.  tina  is  in  excess,  a  brown  precipitate. 
5.  Chloride  of  gold  a  reddish  yellow  5.  Chloride  of  gold  a  yellowish  color- 
precipitate,  ed  precipitate,  inclined  to  red. 
6.  Aqueous  solution  of  iodine  causes  6.  Aqueous  solution  of  iodine  caused 
a  yellowish  cloudiness,  which  is  soon  a  discoloration,  which,  by  standing, 
decolorized  by  standing.  became  colorless. 
