272 
Practical  Notes. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm^ 
X      May,  1883. 
is  dialyzed,  the  dialysate  carefully  evaporated,  the  residue  treated  with 
an  excess  of  potassa  or  lime  and  then  subjected  to  dry  distillation,  the 
odor  of  benzol  is  plainly  developed. — Jour,  Med.  Parisy  1883,  Jan.  27. 
Strychnine  Sulphate. — The  French  Codex  of  1866  orders  the  normal 
sulphate  containing  THgO  and  corresponding  with  the  formula  deter- 
mined by  Regnault  in  1838.  The  correctness  of  this  formula  was- 
doubted  by  Schabus  (1855),  and  subsequently  Des  Cloizeaux  and  Ram- 
melsberg  prepared  hydrates  of  strychnine  sulphate,  containing  5,  6^ 
and  6  J  HgO.  Lextreit  has  recently  examined  numerous  samples  of  the 
salt  as  it  is  met  with  in  French  commerce,  and  found  that  the  normal  and 
acid  sulphates  are  used  indiscriminately.  He  obtained  the  acid  sul- 
phate with  2  in  short  needles,  at  an  elevated  temperature,  and  in 
thin  needles  several  centimeters  long,  when  evaporated  at  a  low  tem- 
perature. Owing  lo  its  caustic  properties  it  is  not  suited  for  medicinal 
use,  more  particularly  not  for  subcutaneous  injections. 
The  normal  sulphate  with  5  H2O  is  obtained  from  strychnine  10 
parts,  pure  sulphuric  acid  1.27  parts,  and  alcohol  50  parts,  using  a. 
moderate  heat  for  dissolving,  the  salt  is  soluble  in  75  parts  of  alcohoh 
Using  a  somewhat  diluted  alcohol,  large  prismatic  crystals  are  formed^ 
but  when  the  strength  is  reduced  to  below  50  per  cent.,  the  salt  is  mixed 
with  the  hydrate  containing  6  HgO,  crystallizing  in  square  plates.  The 
latter  is  obtained  by  replacing  the  alcohol  in  the  above  directions  with 
35  parts  of  water  and  crystallizing  at  70°C ;  above  this  temperature  a 
mixture  of  the  two  hydrates  may  be  obtained.  The  author  prefers  for 
medicinal  use  the  salt  with  5  H2O,  because  it  is  uniformly  procured, 
from  the  solution  in  strong  alcohol. — Jour.  Phar.  et  Chim.  [5],  vi,  p.. 
259.    See  also  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1883,  pp.  114,  115. 
Solution  of  ergotin  for  hypodermic  use  is  made  by  Dannecy,  of  Bor- 
deaux, as  follows  :  Bruised  ergot  is  freed  from  oil  by  carbon  bisulphide 
and  afterwards  displaced  with  cold  distilled  water,  the  liquid  is  evapo- 
rated to  about  one-third  its  volume,  when  cool  filtered  from  the  albu- 
minous matters  and  treated  for  24  hours  with  well-washed  animal 
charcoal  at  a  temperature  of  from  25  to  30°  C,  when  it  is  cooled^, 
filtered,  the  charcoal  washed  with  distilled  water  and  the  decolorized 
filtrate  evaporated  over  the  water  bath  until  for  every  100  parts  of 
ergot  used,  90  parts  of  liquid  remain ;  10  parts  of  cherry  laurel  water 
are  then  added,  and  after  cooling,  the  liquid  is  filtered. 
This  solution  is  of  an  amber  color,  has  a  strong  acid  reaction  upon^ 
litmus  paper,  has  been  found  to  be  quite  active  and  innocuous,  and 
