DOES  NICOTINA  EXIST  IN  GREEN  TOBACCO. 
507 
7.  Sulphate  of  zinc  occasions  a  white  7.  Solution  of  nicotina  causes  a  white 
gelatinous  precipitate.  curdy  precipitate  in  solution  of  sul- 
8.  Chloride  of  cobalt  causes  a  pink    phate  of  zinc. 
colored  precipitate.  8.  Chloride  of  cobalt  occasions  a 
9.  Bichloride  of  platinum  causes  a  slight  pinky  precipitate  iu  very  dilute 
yellowish  coloration,  but  no  precipi-  solution  of  nicotina,  but  a  stronger  so- 
tate,  owing  to  the  great  dilution  of  the  lution  causes  a  blue  precipitate,  which 
solution.  becomes  green  by  standing. 
9.  Bichloride  of  platinium  causes  a 
yellow  precipitate  in  a  strong  solution 
of  nicotina. 
It  will  be  seen  by  a  comparison  of  the  above  reactions,  that 
they  agree  very  closely  except  in  the  case  of  cobalt,  which  is  not 
accounted  for,  unless  the  solution  is  too  dilute  to  react. 
3.  Four  ounces  of  tobacco  leaves  were  deprived  of  their  mid 
rib,  laid  in  the  sun  till  wilted,  and  then  folded  up  into  a  close  mass 
and  kept  in  a  jar,  in  a  warm  place,  to  induce  fermentation,  which 
gradually  supervened,  the  leaves  being  opened  from  time  to 
time,  as  the  process  proceeded.  Their  color  became  brown,  and 
greenish  brown,  a  strong,  rank  odor  analogous  to  that  of  com- 
mercial tobacco  was  developed,  and  the  chlorophylle  nearly  all 
destroyed.  Ammoniacal  fumes  could  also  be  detected  by  the 
nose,  and  by  a  rod  dipped  in  muriatic  acid.  This  process  was  only 
partially  effected  in  the  period  of  ten  days,  which  was  all  that 
could  be  allowed  to  it.  The  leaves  were  now  bruised  and  mace- 
rated in  acidulated  diluted  alcohol  12  hours,  expressed,  satu- 
rated with  magnesia,  agitated  and  filtered.  The  expressed 
liquid  was  brown  instead  of  green,  as  in  the  preceding  case,  had 
a  rank  odor  like  that  of  commercial  tobacco,  though  different, 
which  became  more  marked  after  its  saturation  with  magnesia. 
This  liquid  was  then  evaporated  very  carefully  till  reduced  to 
two  fluid  ounces,  saturated  with  magnesia,  filtered,  and  then  dis- 
tilled with  great  care  till  reduced  to  one  fourth.  The  object  of 
this  experiment  was  to  ascertain  approximately,  whether  the  fer- 
mentation of  tobacco  decreased  or  increased  its  nicotin.  When 
the  distillate  was  tested  parallel  with  the  preceding  series,  the 
results  were  found  to  differ  in  some  respects.  Tannic  acid  af- 
forded no  precipitate,  and  chloride  of  gold  a  very  slight  yellow- 
ish disturbance.  The  reactions  with  the  other  tests  were  appa- 
rently the  same  as  from  the  distillate  of  the  green  leaves.  From 
a  consideration  of  the  results  of  this  experiment  it  is  inferred 
that  the  fermentation  had  generated  ammonia,  and  this  at  the 
