POISON  OF  THE  NORTHERN  RATTLESNAKE. 
163 
equisetic  acid).  Berzelius  pointed  out  that  the  relation  between 
aconitic  and  citric  acids  is  the  same  as  that  between  fumaric  and 
malic  acids,  Robiquet  having  found  that  by  dry  distillation  ci- 
tric acid  yielded  aconitic  acid. 
From  the  close  relation  between  aconitum  and  delphinium, 
and  from  the  opinion  that  a  morphological  resemblance  between 
plants  indicates  similar  productive  agency,  the  author  considered 
it  probable  that  aconitic  acid  exists  in  the  latter,  and  the  result 
of  his  examination  proved  that  his  conjecture  was  wrell  founded. 
The  herbaceous  part  of  the  plant,  after  flowering,  was  submitted 
to  examination. 
The  expressed  juice  was  boiled  for  about  half  an  hour  to  sepa- 
rate albumen  and  chlorophyle,  strained,  oxalic  acid  added  to 
separate  lime,  the  filtrate  treated  with  acetate  of  lead  ;  the  lead 
salt  decomposed  by  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  and  these  two  opera- 
tions repeated  until  a  tolerably  colorless  liquid  was  obtained.  It 
is  extremely  difficult  to  separate  the  coloring  substances. 
This  liquid,  evaporated  to  dryness,  was  treated  with  ether, 
when  the  aconitic  acid  was  obtained  on  evaporation  in  the  char- 
acteristic form  of  warty  masses  of  crystals.  The  crystals  were 
readily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  water.  When  heated  in  a  tube 
there  distilled  off  drops  of  liquid  which  crystallized  (itaconic 
acid)  and  a  voluminous  coal  remained. 
The  analysis  of  the  silver  salt  gave  69.57  per  cent,  oxide  of 
silver.  Calculation  gives  69.21  per  cent. — Pharm.  Jour,  from 
Annalen  der  Qhemie  und  JPharmacie,  April,  1851. 
INFLUENCE  OF  THE  POISON  OF  THE  NORTHERN  RATTLESNAKE 
-(CROrALUS  DURISSUS)— ON  PLANTS. 
By  J.  H.  Salisbury,  M.  D. 
It  is  a  curious  and  well  known  fact,  that  some  of  our  most 
deadly  poisons  are  animal  secretions,  and  that  the  very  animals 
— the  very  tissues  which  secrete  these  powerful  proximate  or-' 
ganic  principles,  are  as  susceptible  to  their  deleterious  influence, 
when  introduced  into  their  circulation,  as  the  tissues  of  the  most 
harmless  animal  would  be  under  similar  circumstances.    It  is 
also  well  known  that  many  vegetable  products  are  highly  poi- 
s 
