Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1892. 
} 
Assay  of  Nux  Vomica. 
345 
ated  results,  providing  that  natural  alkaloids  yield  as  readily  to  the 
treatment  as  those  just  considered. 
(6)  Abstraction  by  Chloroformic  Rotations. — There  is  no  question 
but  Prof.  Norton  has  demonstrated  that  two  rotations  with  io  cc. 
each  of  chloroform  practically  abstract  the  mixed  alkaloid  from  the 
acid  solution  obtained  by  the  iron  magma  of  the  assay  process.  As 
may  be  anticipated,  this,  if  accomplished,  should  result  in  an 
apparent  increase  in  weight  of  the  residue  (see  Brucine)  and,  hence 
this  assay  method  is  in  favor  of  rather  than  against  the  preparation 
examined.  To  a  fluid  extract  that  gave  an  average  of  1-44  per 
cent,  alkaloid,  Norton  and  Nichols  added  a  known  amount  of 
brucine  and  strychnine,  and  by  chloroform  rotations  obtained  1-99 
per  cent,  where  there  should  have  been  but  1*94  per  cent.1  This 
increase  occurred  in  complete  assay,  beginning  with  the  iron  magma. 
An  average  of  20  rotations  with  brucine  gave  a  gain  of  12  per 
cent.  An  average  of  20  rotations  with  strychnine  gave  a  loss  of 
9*4  per  cent.;  the  comparative  result  being  a  gain  of  2-8  per  cent. 
It  may  be  accepted  confidently,  as  has  been  established  I  think,  that 
the  weight  obtained  by  the  first  rotation  will  not  be  less  than  that  of 
the  alkaloid  present,  and,  also,  that  we  need  not  draw  upon  the 
irrational  theory  that  sulphate  of  ammonia  has  been  dissolved  by 
chloroform,  to  account  for  an  increase  in  weight  over  the  dry  alka- 
loid known  to  be  present  in  test  experiments.  It  seems  scarcely 
necessary  to  present  further  evidence  in  this  direction,  but,  the  fol- 
lowing figures  may  be  considered  supplementary  to  the  work  of  the 
gentlemen  alluded  to. 
A  solution  was  made  of  OQ50  gm.  each,  strychnine  and  brucine, 
in  5  cc.  of  a  mixture  of  alcohol  8  parts,  water  1  part.  Of  this, 
three  portions  of  5  cc.  each  were  evaporated  in  platinum  dishes  by 
exposure  in  a  drying  room  to  a  temperature  of  1700  F.: 
PART  THIRD. 
Tabids  V. 
One  Hour 
Exposure. 
0*104  gm- 
0-105  " 
Three  Hours 
A, 
B, 
C, 
0-105  " 
Exposure. 
0-1035 
0-1045 
0*104 
Average, 
0*1046 
0-104 
1  Pharmaceutische  Rundschau,  May ;  Am.  Druggist,  May  15,  and  Journ. 
Anal,  and  App.  Chem.,  March,  1892. 
