292 
ON  CTCUTA  MACULATA. 
sence  of  a  large  quantity  of  ozone  in  the  atmosphere  of  the 
vial. 
When  treated  with  bichromate  of  potassa  and  sulphuric  acid 
it  yielded  by  distillation  an  acid  analogous  to  formic  acid. 
Potassium,  when  added  to  the  oil,  decomposes  it  with  efferves- 
cence, materially  affecting  its  odor,  and  on  standing  causing  it  to 
become  solid  ;  the  potassa  formed  from  the  oxidation  of  the  po- 
tassium, uniting  with  a  portion  of  the  oil  to  form  a  compound- 
like resinate  of  potassa,  having  a  dark  brown  color  and  a  soft 
solid  consistence. 
About  two  drachms  of  the  crude  oil  was  treated  with  potassium 
until  reaction  ceased,  when  it  had  assumed  a  dark  brown  color, 
and  thick  consistence ;  the  whole,  with  a  portion  of  potassium, 
was  introduced  into  a  retort,  and  by  a  careful  application  of 
heat,  a  colorless  hydrocarbon  oil  distilled  over,  of  the  sp.  gr. 
.830,  having  a  pleasant  odor,  and  a  bland  aromatic  taste  ;  it  is 
rendered  dark  red  by  the  action  of  sulphuric  acid  ;  caustic  potassa 
digested  in  the  oil  does  not  affect  it ;  nitric  acid  acts  on  it 
with  effervescence  but  without  exploding. 
Caustic  potassa  added  to  the  crude  oil  changed  it,  after  stand- 
ing, into  a  solid  of  a  dark  red  color,  (the  odor  was  similar  to  that 
produced  by  the  action  of  potassium,)  this  was  treated  with  water 
and  filtered,  a  few  drops  of  the  solution  of  subacetate  of  lead 
was  added  to  the  filtrate,  but  it  did.  not  produce  a  black  precipi- 
tate. Iodine  combines  slowly  but  perfectly,  without  explosion, 
becoming  colorless  on  standing.  A  few  drops  of  the  volatile  oil  were 
placed  on  a  watch  glass,  and  exposed  to  oxygen  gas  under  a  bell 
jar  for  two  or  three  weeks,  without  any  apparent  change  in  its 
consistence  or  color  taking  place. 
Conia — From  the  close  botanical  relationship  between  Cicuta 
maculata  and  Conium  maculatum,  and  its  known  poisonous  proper- 
ties, it  was  presumed  that  a  volatile  alkaloid  existed  in  the  former, 
analogous,  if  not  identical  with  conia.  To  decide  this  question,  a 
portion  of  the  seeds  were  bruised  and  macerated  in  diluted  alco- 
hol, acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid  for  four  or  five  days  and  dis- 
placed ;  the  resulting  tincture  was  evaporated  to  the  consistency 
of  honey,  and  treated  with  a  mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether.  This 
was  also  evaporated,  and  a  portion  of  water  added  in  order  to 
dissolve  the  salt  of  the  alkaloid,  and  leave  the  resin.    A  small 
