Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1892. 
Assay  of  Nnx  Vomica. 
349 
market,  in  original  vials,  and  severally  assayed,  according  to  the 
formula  given  on  p.  339. 
Every  precaution  was  taken  to  preserve  uniform  conditions.  The 
analyses  were  made  successively  by  the  author,  without  interrup- 
tion, the  exposures  and  evaporations  were  under  identical  conditions 
and  the  weighings  of  each  set  were  accomplished  as  rapidly  as 
possible.  The  operator  worked  by  numbers,  not  being  conversant 
even  at  this  stage,  with  the  names  or  the  identity  of  the  several 
specimens.1 
Dry  Extract. — Previous  to  assay,  5  cc.  of  each  were  separately 
evaporated  in  beaker  glasses  (2^x3  inches)  by  exposure  to  the 
drying  room  temperature  of  1400  F.,  the  exposure  being  continued 
three  hours  after  the  alcohol  had  disappeared.  Where  large 
amounts  of  residue  resulted  they  were  stirred  occasionally  with  the 
tip  of  the  blade  of  a  penknife  to  insure  perfect  dryness.  The 
glasses  were  then  simultaneously  transferred  to  a  desiccator  and 
cooled  ten  minutes,  then  weighed  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The 
results  expressed  in  percentages  are  shown  by  column  No.  2  of  the 
following  table. 
Chloroformic  Extract. — 5  cc.  of  each  specimen  was  abstracted  by 
the  first  part  of  the  process  of  the  formula  for  assay  (p.  339)  and 
the  total  chloroformic  solution  of  each  evaporated  in  a  beaker 
glass,  by  exposure  to  1400  F.  The  residues  were  exposed  to  the 
same  temperature  for  six  hours  after  the  chloroform  had  disappeared 
and  were  then  cooled  in  a  desiccator  and  weighed.  Their  weights, 
expressed  in  grams  and  multiplied  by  20,  gave  the  percentage 
shown  by  column  No.  3. 
On  an  average,  3  cc.  of  glucose  solution  were  required  with  each 
specimen. 
1  It  is  probable  that  many  manufacturers  would  change  places  were  different 
specimens  to  be  examined.  In  the  absence  of  an  alkaloidal  standard,  this 
series  of  investigations  can  only  be  considered  in  the  light  of  a  systematic 
study. 
