CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  OF  GELSEMIUM  SEMPERVIRENS.  15 
superficial  veins  congested.  Heart  normal  in  size,  superficial 
veins  injected,  and  the  cavities  greatly  distended  with  dark 
grumous  blood,  inside  of  which  was  found  a  well-defined  mem- 
brane, identical  in  appearance  with  that  found  in  diphtheria  and 
pseudo-membranous  croup.  The  abdomen  presented  no  tympa- 
nitic distention.  Stomach  slightly  distended  with  gas,  and  con- 
tained a  small  quantity  of  ingesta.  Peritoneum  and  intestines 
in  a  healthy  condition.  Liver  and  investing  membrane  normal ; 
left  kidney  congested.  The  uterus  was  slightly  enlarged  and 
contained  a  foetus  of  about  five  wrecks'  development. 
A  small  quantity  of  the  contents  of  the  stomach  having  es- 
caped from  the  organ  at  the  time  of  the  dissection,  was  collected 
separately  in  a  small  bottle  ;  the  stomach  with  the  balance  of  its 
contents  was  placed  in  a  larger  bottle.  These  bottles,  with  their 
contents,  were  carefully  sealed  and  remained  undisturbed  until 
the  17th  of  May.  At  this  time  the  contents  of  the  bottle  con- 
taining the  stomach  were  found  to  have  undergone  considerable 
decomposition.  A  little  pure  alcohol  was  added  to  the  decom- 
posing mass,  and  it  then  allowed  to  remain  until  the  13th  of 
June,  when  the  chemical  examination  of  the  contents  of  both 
bottles  was  commenced. 
Chemical  Analysis. — The  contents  of  the  small  bottle,  consist- 
ing of  about  two  fluid  drachms  of  liquid  with  a  small  amount  of 
solid  matter,  were  digested  with  about  one  ounce  of  strong  alco- 
hol, the  liquid  then  decanted,  and  the  solids  washed  with  fresh 
alcohol,  which  was  collected  with  that  first  employed.  The 
alcoholic  liquid  was  now  concentrated  at  a  moderate  temperature 
to  about  one-half  its  volume,  then  filtered,  and  the  filtrate  con- 
centrated to  about  one  drachm  of  fluid.  This  concentration 
caused  the  separation  of  some  oily  globules,  and  also  of  some 
apparently  vegetable  solid  matter,  and  the  mixture  exhaled  a 
very  marked  vegetable  odor,  very  similar  to  that  of  the  extract 
of  gelsemium  under  similar  conditions. 
The  concentrated  liquid  thus  obtained  was  again  treated  with 
alcohol,  filtered,  and  the  concentrated  filtrate  treated  with  about 
half  an  ounce  of  pure  water,  which  left  considerable  matter 
undissolved,  and  furnished,  when  filtered,  a  clear  slightly  yellow- 
ish solution.    This  aqueous  solution  was  concentrated  to  a  small 
