THE ANNALS OF CHYMISTRY AND PRACTICAL PHARMACY. VOL. I. LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1843. Ir must have occurred to every practical man who may have consulted the recently published works on Pharmacy, by Drs. PEREIRA, CHRISTISON, A. T. THOMSON, and BRANDE, how interesting it would be to peruse in detail the Journals, Works, and Papers, which are so continually referred to by the above truly indefatigable writers; and when the indomitable investigator has, at considerable cost, and after no few disappointments, become the possessor of such works, containing information on the subject in which he is interested, in the detailed narrative of the original writers, how constantly does he arrive at the mortifying conclusion, that from the time which has elapsed since their publication, owing to the rapid progress made by Chymistry, and her sister, Pharmacy, very much clearer views than those he is in possession of must have been developed by some individual equally persevering, but perhaps more fortunately guided than himself. For him unfortunately, although far different for the philosopher, is it, that the hypotheses of to-day, after undergoing a purifying ordeal, become the theories of tomorrow, while the theories of yesterday vanish before facts which are unshrouded by the modern discoveries of to-day. Ponderous tomes are regarded by the present generation as histories of times past, while the present is perused in the constantly recurring journals of the periodical press. It cannot be denied, however, that by the devotion of whole years to an individual pursuit, greater perfection is finally attained: this VOL. I. B does not, however, apply to works on ever changing Chymistry, with her thousand pioneers enthusiastically pushing forward in their several remote paths; neither is there any one so bold as to deny that an immense impetus is afforded, and the fruits of much laborious research may be anticipated, by the constant interchange of the labours of chymists of all countries. Dismissing altogether, however, as befits children of science, the pecuniary benefit arising from the application of those laws which the labours of others may have developed, is there not experienced in the intellectual mind a warm, albeit an ideal, friendship towards those whose daily progress in congenial pursuits is chronicled in our journals? What chymist is there, loving his craft, and who has followed the young and talented LIEBIG through his sagacious attempts to explain the deeply hidden secrets of vegetable and animal life, or the master mind of BERZELIUS through his comprehensive and luminous theories of inorganic chymistry, lighting up and distinctly arranging paths where all was darkness and confusion, or the eloquent and energetic DUMAS, ever foremost in the van of scientific progress— what chymist is there who does not feel interested in aught that has reference to those circles round which the before-mentioned benefactors of mankind throw a halo; and who that can distinguish an acid from an alkali would not cheerfully render to them that homage we have been wont to pay a DAVY, a WOLLASTON, and a FARADAY? Great Britain has many able rising men, deeply enamoured of these pursuits, in themselves so full of interest-an interest which might be heightened by the assurance that each individual's results are reciprocally and anxiously perused by the talented men to whom we have alluded, and whose example may have been a comparatively young author's chief encouragement. To these we appeal for aid by their contributions, practically heralding this truth, that the warmest sympathy exists among the cultivators of science in every clime: and our task be it to furnish the sheet where such congenial minds may hold converse with each other. NICOTINE. 3 CHYMISTRY, OPERATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL. ART I.-Proximate Analysis of Tobacco, and Composition of Nicotine. By V. ORTIGOSA. [WE are led to infer, in consequence of the laws recently enacted relative to tobacco-which laws, it was asserted, have been required to check adulterations seriously affecting the revenue- -that the following information will be read with interest.ED.] Tobacco dust, which may be obtained in large quantities of tobacco manufacturers, is allowed to digest 24 hours in cold water, acidulated with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid. The expressed liquor must be evaporated to a syrupy consistence, and the very pungent-tasting dark brown residue distilled with about one-sixth of its volume of a strong solution of pure potassa, Occasionally adding to the contents of the retort a little water, so as to assist the distillation, which, from the concentration of the liquid, becomes impeded. The distilled product is a solution of nicotine and ammonia, and the former will be observed floating on the surface of the liquid, when concentrated, in the form of a clear brown oil. The liquid must be neutralized with sulphuric, or, better still, oxalic acid, since the former appears to decompose nicotine, and then it must be gradually evaporated to dryness. The brown crystallized saline mass is then heated in pure anhydrous alcohol to the boiling point, which dissolves the oxalate of nicotine, and leaves the oxalate of ammonia on the filter. The alcoholic solution of oxalate of nicotine is to be evaporated to the consistence of a syrup, and then decomposed with caustic potassa in a closed vessel, and the mass agitated with ether; by a repetition of which treatment the whole of the nico tine is taken up. The ethereal solution must now be distilled in a water bath, when, firstly, pure ether, then ether and water, with traces of nicotine, and lastly a colourless transparent oil, passes over, which assumes a yellowish tint at the termination of the process. Composition.-M. Ortigosa continues-Posselt and Reimann considered this product as pure nicotine; but, according to my analyses, it seemed to contain water and alcohol. The oil taken during the process of distillation contained more or less carbon, according to the more or less advanced stage of the process at |