508 
DOES  NICOTINA  EXIST  IN  GREEN  TOBACCO. 
expense  of  the  nicotina,  although  the  quantity  operated  on,  and 
the  imperfect  manner  in  which  the  fermentation  was  conducted, 
do  not  justify  a  positive  conclusion.  The  presence  of  a  very  lit- 
tle ammonia  in  a  solution  of  nicotina  prevents  its  precipitation 
by  tannic  acid,  but  at  the  same  time  causes  a  reddish  coloration 
of  the  solution,  an  effect  which  did  not  occur  in  this  experiment. 
In  conclusion,  it  may  be  inferred  from  these  experiments, 
1st.  That  tobacco  seeds,  if  poisonous,  probably  owe  their- 
power  to  some  other  principle  than  the  nicotina  of  manufactured 
tobacco. 
2.  That  these  seeds  contain  about  one  third  of  their  weight 
of  fixed  oil. 
3.  That  nicotina  exists  as  such  in  growing  tobacco  leaves. 
4.  That  these  experiments  do  not  determine  the  relative 
amount  of  nicotin  in  green  and  cured  tobacco  leaves. 
5.  That  the  question  whether  the  fermentation  of  the  curing 
process  increases  the  proportion  of  nicotina,  as  alleged  by  some 
writers,  or  decreases  it  by  generating  ammonia  at  its  expense, 
as  would  appear  from  the  imperfect  results  of  the  last  experi- 
ment above,  is  yet  to  be  determined. 
From  Proceedings  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  1858. 
ON  PODOPHYLLUM 
By  R.  H.  Stabler,  M.  L>. 
None  of  our  indigenous  vegetable  productions  are  more  uni- 
formly extolled  for  their  valuable  and  certain  efficacy  than  Podo- 
phyllum peltatum ;  and  at  an  early  date  in  the  history  of  the 
vegetable  materia  medica  it  attracted  the  attention  of  observers  as 
a  reliable  and  certain  hydragogue  cathartic,  much  resembling 
jalap  in  its  effects. 
Dr.  Bigelow  subjected  it  to  analysis,  but  no  efforts  were  made 
to  isolate  its  active  principle  that  I  have  been  able  to  discover, 
until  the  year  1831,  when  the  root  was  analyzed  by  W.  Hodgson, 
Jr.,  and  a  paper  on  the  subject  read  before  the  College  of  Phar- 
macy of  Philadelphia.  He  announces  the  discovery  of  a  pecu- 
liar proximate  principle  in  pale  brown  lustrous  scales;  easily 
pulverizable  ;  unalterable  in  the  air ;  and  of  a  strong,  perma- 
