ACONITIA

C 30 H 47 O 7 N. (B. P.) Syn. Aconitia , L. An alkaloid obtained from aconite. Take of | Aconite root, in coarse powder, 14 pounds. | | | Rectified spirit | of each a sufficiency. | | Distilled water | | Solution or ammonia | | Pure ether | | Diluted sulphuric acid | Pour upon the aconite root three gallons of the spirit, mix them well, and heat until ebullition commences; then cool and macerate for four days. Transfer the whole to a displacement apparatus, and percolate, adding more spirit, when requisite, until the root is exhausted. Distil off the greater part of the spirit from the tincture, and evaporate the remainder over a water bath until the whole of the alcohol has been di ipated. Mix the residual extract thoroughly with twice its weight of boiling distilled water, and when it has cooled to the temperature of the atmosphere, filter through paper. To the filtered liquid add solution of ammonia in slight exce , and heat them gently over a water bath. Separate the precipitate on a filter, and dry it. Reduce this to coarse powder, and macerate it in succe ive portions of the pure ether with frequent agitation. Decant the several products, mix and distil off the ether until the extract is dry. Di olve the dry extract in warm distilled water acidulated with the sulphuric acid; and, when the solution is cold, precipitate it by the cautious addition of solution of ammonia diluted with four times its bulk of distilled water. Wash the precipitate on a filter with a small quantity of cold distilled water, and dry it by slight pre ure between folds of filtering paper. Characters and Tests. A white, usually amorphous, solid, soluble in 150 parts of cold, and 50 of hot water, and much more soluble in alcohol and in ether; strongly alkaline to reddened litmus, neutralising acids, and precipitated from them by the caustic alkalies, but not by carbonate of ammonia or the bicarbonates of soda or potash. It melts with heat, and burns with a smoky flame, leaving no residue when burned with free acce of air. When rubbed on the skin it causes a tingling sensation, followed by prolonged numbne . It is a very active poison.