2  Complete  Exhaustion  of  Nux  Vomica.      { "^""'/an'^sslf'^'"' 
reducing  the  quantity  of  raw  material  in  requisite  proportion,  attempts 
are  made  to  exhaust  it  by  means  of  more  appropriate  solvents.  This 
may  be  accepted  as  the  proper  course  in  conformity  with  the  prevail- 
ing system,  and  therefore  the  processes  for  all  such  preparations  should 
be  remodeled  accordingly. 
Tincture  of  nux  vomica  is  an  important  and  useful  preparation,  and 
by  virtue  of  its  active  principles  a  very  powerful  one.  Definiteness 
in  its  construction  should  therefore  be  one  of  its  prime  features.  It  is 
questionable  whether  the  primitive  method  at  present  in  use  really 
secures  a  saturated  solution.  Neither  the  strychnine  or  the  other  alka- 
loids are  free,  since  the  great  excess  of  igasuric  acid  insures  compounds 
which,  although  soluble  in  alcohol,  are  but  sparingly  soluble  in  water. 
Now,  by  reason  of  a  peculiar  gummy  substance  contained  in  nux 
vomica,  insoluble  in  alcohol,  in  which  the  alkaloidal  compounds  are 
imbedded,  alcohol  can  only  exert  a  surface  action,  and  lience  will  be 
effective  in  a  measure  in  proportion  to  the  fineness  of  the  powder. 
Akhough  water  or  weak  alcohol  softens  and  permeates  the  horny 
body,  either  of  them  fails  to  extract  the  now  sparingly  soluble  igasu- 
rates.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  nux  vomica  cannot  be  exhausted  by 
any  form  of  alcohol.  Acidulated  alcoholic  menstrua  are  equally  pow- 
erless, because  igasurates,  like  tannates  of  the  alkaloids,  are  indecom- 
posable by  weak  acids. 
Seeing  that  the  gummy  matter  is  the  chief  obstacle  to  exhaustion, 
the  writer  sought  to  decompose  it,  in  a  preliminary  operation,  by 
means  of  dilute  sulphuric  acid.  Failing  with  this,  ammonia  was  tried 
with  a  little  success ;  but  having  accidentally  added  some  borax  to  the 
ammoniacal  mixture  a  rapid  coagulation  was  noticed.  Upon  this, 
powdered  nux  vomica  Avas  mixed  with  borax  and  percolated  with  a 
menstruum  composed  of  equal  measures  of  alcohol  and  water,  and, 
although  absolute  exhaustion  of  the  powder  was  readily  achieved,  the 
percolate  possessed  such  an  obstinate  turbidity  that  the  process,  other- 
wise so  satisfactory,  was  yet  a  failure.  Boric  acid,  applied  in  a  similar 
manner,  was  as  inefficient  as  other  acids  previously  tried.  It  was  next 
resolved  to  test  potassium  citrate,  which  insured  a  satisfactory  product, 
and  absolute  extraction  of  the  drug.  Deeming  a  simpler  saline  body 
more  appropriate  and  obtainable,  the  writer  resorted  to  sodium  chlo- 
ride, and  attained,  above  all  others,  the  most  perfect  result. 
It  is  remarkable  what  a  solvent  action  a  saline  substance  has  on  the 
