Excerpt from American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. 73: May, 1901 This drug is very difficult to exhaust completely. After trying several neutral, as well as acid menstrua, the following method was found to work well. Though in this method acid is used, the method can nevertheless be used as a standard, it being well known that the st'rychnos alkaloids are not easily affected by dilute acids. Ten grammes of drug in No. 60 powder were moistened in a screw top jar with 5 c.c. Of a menstruum containing 75 per cent. Alcohol and 2 per cent. Phosphoric acid. The jar was then covered and set aside for forty-eight hours. The drug was then put in a small percolator, the jar washed out several times with the same men struum, the washings poured on top of the drug and more of the same menstruum added till the liquid reached the lower orifice (about 23 c.c. Menstruum was used). The percolator was then closed and set aside for twelve hours. The percolation was then continued very slowly with a menstruum containing 75 per cent. Alcohol and about one-quarter of I per cent. Phosphoric acid till about 200 c.c. Were obtained. The first IO c.c. Were received into a 100 c.c. Measuring flask and the rest concentrated in vacuo, first at about 45 Degrees C., and then at ordinary temperature till the percolate was reduced to about 60 c.c. The concentrated extract was then added to the reserved portion, the vessel in which the concentra tion took place washed with water and the whole made up to 100 c.c. This was shaken about one-half hour with talcum powder. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.