134 
VERATRIA  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  SALS. 
the  gelatine,  or  identical  as  to  chemical  composition,  with  the 
air-bladder  of  the  sturgeon,  answers  the  purpose  of  the  preparer 
of  fermented  liquors. 
Hitherto  Russia  has  been  the  chief  source  of  the  supply  of 
isinglass.  Our  present  relations  with  that  country  add  to  the 
value  of  the  development  of  the  same  product  in  one  of  our  own 
colonies  ;  and  it  might  be  recommended  to  the  Colonial  Authori- 
ties to  afford  every  due  encouragement,  aid  and  instruction  to 
the  Canadians  dwelling  in  the  vicinity  of  the  rivers  and  lakes,  in 
the  capture  of  the  sturgeons,  and  the  preparation  of  the  air- 
bladder,  and  the  outer  tunic  of  the  alimentary  canal,  after  the 
modes  of  obtaining  the  best  Russian  isinglass. — Pharm.  Jour. 
Dec.  1855,  from  Notes  of  Remarkable  Objects  in  the  Paris  Uni- 
versal Exhibition. 
EXAMINATION  OF  VERATRIA  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  SALTS. 
By  G.  Merck. 
Veratrine  has  been  analysed  by  Couerbe,  and  by  Pelletier 
and  Dumas.  The  former  obtained  on  an  average,  69-6  per  cent, 
of  carbon  and  7-2  per  cent,  of  hydrogen  (recalculated  for 
0=6) ;  he  proposes  the  formula  C34  H43  N2  O6  (H=0.623).  The 
latter  obtained  65-76  per  cent,  of  carbon  and  8-54  per  cent,  of 
hydrogen  re-calculated  for  C=6).  The  diversity  of  these  num- 
bers, and  the  circumstance  of  my  succeeding  in  preparing  vera- 
trine in  considerable  quantity  beautifully  crystallized,  and  there- 
fore perfectly  pure,  whilst  the  above-mentioned  chemists  operated 
upon  a  resinous  body,  induced  me  to  submit  this  substance  to  a 
fresh  examination. 
The  veratrine  employed  was  prepared  in  the  following  manner  : 
A  dilute  solution  of  pure  commercial  veratrine  in  alcohol  con- 
taining as  much  water  as  possible,  was  evaporated  on  the  water- 
bath  at  a  gentle  heat,  during  which  a  portion  separated  in  the 
form  of  a  white  crystalline  powder,  mixed  with  a  brown  resinous 
mass.  The  latter  could  be  got  rid  of  by  washing  with  cold 
alcohol.  By  dissolving  the  crystalline  veratrine  thus  obtained 
in  highly-rectified  alcohol,  and  leaving  the  solution  to  evaporate 
spontaneously,  I  obtained  it  in  crystals  of  about  half  an  inch 
long,  in  the  form  of  rhombic  prisms.* 
*  The  amount  obtained  is  very  small  in  proportion  to  the  amorphous 
