CONIA, or CONIINE (C.Hribl), an alkaloid in the hemlock, discovered in an im pure state by Giesecke in 1827, and subsequently prepared in the pure state by Geiger, who recog nized it as a vegetable base. It exists, combined with malic acid, in all parts of the plant, but especially in the not quite ripe seed. When pure it is a colorless oily liquid, specific gravity 0.89, which changes by exposure to air to a brown fluid, and ultimately to a resinous, bitter mass, slightly soluble in water, soluble in alcohol, and when purified yielding a jelly with a butyric odor. It can be distilled without much altera tion, provided the air be excluded, its boiling point being 168° C. At a higher temperature it burns with a bright smoky flame. It is slightly volatile even at ordinary temperatures. It has a very disagreeable odor, sharp and choking when strong; its taste is nauseous. It is some what soluble in water, readily in alcohol, ether and oils, and itself acts as a solvent of sulphur. It has a strong alkaline reaction when moist, and combines with the acids to form salts, most of which are crystalline but deliquescent. The salts are unstable in aqueous solution; they evolve the odor of the base and gradually change color. It precipitates the oxides of iron, zinc, manganese, aluminum, copper and the other heavy metals, from solutions of their salts. It is attacked by chlorine, bromine and
iodine, and oxidized by nitric acid, yielding butyric acid. The poisonous action of conia has been minutely investigated, but although it has been proved to be rapidly fatal to all classes of animals when administered in doses of from 3 or 4 to 10 or 12 grains, the nature of its action is not fully ascertained; but the breathing and pulse are affected, and the extremities paralyzed_ Some experimenters have tried its effect upon themselves, and ac cording to their account the minutest produce burning in the mouth, salivation, nausea and vomiting, pressure in the head, tot tering, indistinct vision, cramps and other symptoms. Similar observations have been made on persons to whom the alkaloid has been given therapeutically. It has been shown that conia can be detected in a poisoned ani mal, even after a considerable time. The tonic power of conia seems to be little if at all affected by the introduction into it of the alcoholic radicals, methyl, and ethyl. The ac tion is perhaps not so rapid, but it is the same, in character, and takes place with quite as small quantities. In this respect coma differs from some other alkaloids, for instance, codeia.