NEW  PROCESS  FOR  EXTRACTING;  STRYCHNIA,  ETC.  553 
of  strychnia,  drench  them  both  with  a  drop  of  water — the  charac- 
teristic deep  blue  of  the  iron  is  first  developed.  This  must  now 
be  cfc'scolored  by  one  or  two  drops  of  strong  sulphuric  acid,  and 
next  a  minute  portion  of  powdered  chromate  of  potash  stirred 
in — the  usual  purple  and  violet  color  of  strychnia  will  then 
readily  appear.  The  same  effect  is  produced  with  the  red  prussiate 
of  potash. 
The  next  test  is  the  decolorization  of  a  solution,  the  ammonia 
sulphate  of  copper,  by  the  very  gradual  addition  of  a  solution  of 
strychnia  and  then  boiling  the  mixture.  Crystals  of  strychniate 
of  copper  with  a  little  ammonia  will  be  obtained.  These,  when 
dry,  can  be  first  decolorized  by  sulphuric  acid  ;  the  subsequent 
addition  of  chromate  of  potash  ground  in  with  the  aid  of  a  glass 
rod,  will  reveal  the  presence  of  strychnia. 
In  fact,  these  tests,  particularly  that  with  chromate  of  strych- 
nia, may  be  considered  double  tests,  because  we  have  first  the 
obtainment  of  a  peculiar  crystalline  compound  of  strychnia, 
which  is  afterwards  made  to  develop  the  characteristic  effects  by 
which  strychnia  is  recognized. — London  Pharm.  Journn  Sept. 
1,  1856. 
ON  A  NEW  METHOD  OF  EXTRACTING  THE  ALKALOIDS 
STRYCHNIA  AND  BRUCIA  FROM  NUX  VOMICA  WITHOUT  AL- 
COHOL. 
By  Mr.  John  Horsley. 
The  usual  modes  of  obtaining  strychnia  from  nux  vomica  are, 
besides  being  more  or  less  expensive,  owing  to  the  alcohol  used, 
far  from  satisfactory.  This,  in  a  toxicological  point  of  view,  is 
particularly  the  case,  on  account  of  the  small  quantity  of  strych- 
nia naturally  contained  in  the  nut,  and  as  the  production  of  the 
alkaloid  for  its  characteristic  color  test  is  a  matter  of  importance, 
I  liave  been  induced  to  make  several  experiments  on  the  different 
methods  in  use,  and  it  appears  to  me  that  the  simplest  and  best 
is  that  which  I  now  propose,  viz.,  to  make  an  acetic  extract  by 
kneading  up,  say  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  nux  vomica  with  an 
equal  quantity  of  commercial  acetic  acid,  and  thinning  the  pulpy 
mass  with  two  or  three  pints  of  cold  water,  allowing  it  to  digest 
for  a  few  days.    The  clear  liquor  must  then  be  decanted  off  and 
