360 
Alkaloid  in  Cannabis  Indica. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
1      July,  1883, 
they,  therefore,  leave  it  doubtful  as  to  whether  this  volatile  alkaloid  is 
the  narcotic  principle  of  cannabis. 
It  is  evident  from  these  and  many  other  researches  that  it  is  no  easy 
task  to  arrive  at  correct  conclusions  as  to  the  active  principle  of  canna- 
bis indica. 
A  considerable  time  ago,  I  commenced  a  chemical  examination  of 
this  drug,  at  the  suggestion  of  Professor  Schmiedeberg,  of  Strassburg, 
the  results,  so  far,  of  which  lead  me  to  believe  that  cannabis  indica 
contains  several  alkaloids.  In  a  future  communication  I  hope  to  be 
able  to  give  an  exact  description  of  the  distinctive  characters  and  toxic 
action  of  each.  In  the  meantime,  I  shall  content  myself  with  the 
description  of  one  which  I  have  obtained  in  a  considerable  degree  of 
purity,  and  one  which,  rather  remarkably,  possesses  an  action  similar 
to  that  of  strychnia.  It  is  evidently,  therefore,  quite  a  secondary 
alkaloid  of  the  cannabis,  and  reminds  one  of  the  thebaine  of  opium. 
This  alkaloid  was  obtained  from  a  watery  infusion  of  powdered 
cannabis  indica  by  treating  it  with  a  solution  of  subacetate  of  lead,  and 
filtering.  To  the  filtrate  was  added  ammonia,  and  the  precipitate 
removed  by  filtration.  The  filtrate,  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid, 
was  now  treated  with  a  solution  of  phospho-wolframic  acid  in  order  to 
precipitate  the  alkaloids  present,  The  precipitate,  which  was  fairly 
abundant,  was,  after  the  fluid  had  been  removed  by  filtration  and  wash- 
ing with  dilute  sulphuric  acid  and  pressing,  mixed  with  barium  hydrate 
and  water,  which  formed  an  insoluble  wolframate  and  set  free  the 
alkaloids.  The  filtrate  was  now  deprived  of  its  excess  of  barium  by 
means  of  a  stream  of  carbonic  acid  gas  and  again  filtered.  The  filtrate 
was  at  a  gentle  heat  evaporated  almost  to  dryness  and  acidulated  with 
sulphuric  acid  and  treated  with  absolute  alcohol.  The  sulphate  of  the 
alkaloids  thus  formed  was  partially  soluble  in  alcohol,  partly  not.  It 
was  from  the  soluble  part  that  the  alkaloid  in  question  was  procured. 
The  sulphate  was  converted  into  a  chloride  by  treatment  with  barium 
hydrate,  afterwards  with  carbonic  acid  to  remove  excess  of  barium, 
and,  finally,  with  hydrochloric  acid  to  neutralization.  The  chloride 
was  evaporated  and  treated  with  absolute  alcohol,  in  which  it  in  part 
dissolved.  From  the  solution,  by  addition  of  excess  of  carbonate  of 
soda  and  frequent  shaking  with  ether,  an  alkaloid  was  obtained  in  the 
form  of  colorless  needle-like  crystals. 
The  alkaloid  was  easily  soluble  in  water,  soluble  also  in  alcohol,  and 
more  slowly  soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform.    It  caused  tetanus  in 
