CO′NIA

C 8 H 15 O. Syn. Co′nine , Con′icine . An alkaloid, discovered by Gieseke in hemlock. It exists in every part of the plant, but is present in the largest quantity in the seed. Prep. (Gieger.) The seeds of hemlock, or their alcoholic extracts, is distilled with water and pota a. The conia pa es over into the receiver, and floats on the top of the water, which also contains a little conine in solution. It is purified in the way directed for the volatile bases. (See Alkaloid .) When the alcoholic extract is employed, about half its weight of pota a should be used. Prop., . Pure conia is an oily-looking liquid, smelling intensely of hemlock, or rather of a combination of the odours of tobacco and mice; volatile at common temperatures; reddens turmeric; boils at about 340° Fahr., but readily distils over with water at 212°; sp. gr. ·89; with the acids it forms salts, some of which are crystallisable. Six lbs. of fresh and 9 lbs. of dried seeds yielded 1 oz. of conia. (Gieger.) Forty lbs. of the ripe but green seeds yielded 2 1 ⁄ 2 oz. of hydrated conia. (Christ is on.) Conia is remarkably poisonous. 1 drop, placed in the eye of a rabbit, killed it in 9 minutes; 5 drops, poured into the throat of a dog, killed it in le than a minute. It has been employed in some convulsive and spasmodic diseases, but is now seldom used medicinally. “The patient cries, the contortions, and the rigidity of the limbs, which have always preceded death (caused by conia), leave no doubt as to the cruel pains which this kind of poisoning brings on.” (Boutron-Chalard and Henry.) The treatment may be that recommended under Aconite and Hemlock .