On the history and properties chemical and medical of tobacco : a probationary essay presented to the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow.

  • Cleland, Henry Wilson, -1844
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the history and properties chemical and medical of tobacco : a probationary essay presented to the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    50/80 (page 46)
    The Nicotianine of Hermbstadt, these German chemists consider as a species of volatile oil, pro- bably common to the whole of the order Solaneae. They found it insoluble in water, but very readily in alcohol and ether.* According to Posselt and Reimann, the leaves of Tobacco contain no fewer than eighteen different ingredients,-]- viz.:— 1. Nicotina, 0.06 10. Sulphate of potass, 0.048 2. Nicotianin, 0.01 11. Chloride of potassium, 0.063 3. Extractive slightly bitter, 2.87 12. Malate and nitrate of potass, 0.095 4. Gum with a little malate of lime,-? . 1.74 13. Phosphate of lime, I. 0.166 5. Green resin, 0.267 14. Malate of lime, 0.242 6. Albumen, 0.26 15. Silica, 0.088 7. Gluten, 1.048 16. Lignine, .... 4.969 3. Malic acid, ..... 0.51 17. Starch, a trace, . 9. Malate of ammonia, 0.12 18. Water, . . . . . 88.280 100.956 In the analysis of the leaves of this plant by Convell, there is introduced to our notice a new sub- stance, very peculiar in its habitudes.^ We refer to Nicotium. This chemist held that the following ingredients were detigible in the Nicotiana Tabacum:— 1. Gum. 7. A yellow oil. 2.'Mucus. 8. Light yellow resin in great quantity. 3. Tannin. 9. Nicotin. 4. Gallic acid. 10. A substance resembling morphia. 5. Chlorophyle. 11. A substance of an orange red colour. 6. Green powder, soluble in hot water, insoluble in cold. 12. Nicotium. It is exceedingly improbable that this enumeration is correct, for as we shall afterwards see, the tannate of Nicotin is very insoluble. Besides, the Nicotium has assigned to it very improbable characters,—thus, it is not crystalisable, and is inodorous and insipid,—it is totally insoluble in alcohol, ether, and water,— it combines with acids, and is decomposed by heat. In 1829, Mr. Edmund Davy obtained a solution of the true active constituent of the plant, by sub- jecting it along with potass, soda, baryta, strontia, or lime, to distillation ; it formed salts, but they were very easily decomposed. In 1836, M. M. Henri and Boutron Charlard by distilling Tabac a fumee twice off caustic soda, and by placing the product, of a syrupy consistence, in a vacuum, obtained a substance bearing a con- siderable resemblance to chlorate of potass, and which they designated Nicotine. This alkaloid has no odour when cold, but when heat is applied it evaporates completely away, being transformed into a white irritating smoke, having a smell like that of Tobacco, and even when much diluted, the taste is very harsh, acrid, and caustic. It is soluble in ether, alcohol, turpentine, water, and weak acids. It forms * This may reconcile smokers to the outer layers of the tuber of the Solanum Tuberosum wherewith to replenish their pipes,—a custom which was at one time, during a scarcity of Tobacco, prevalent in some parts of Scotland. + Dr. Thomson’s “ Vegetable Chemistry,” p. 857. Geiger.—Handbuch.