The asparagus is remarkable as containing a crystalline alkaloid called asparagin, which is thought to possess diuretic properties.

If, having completed our survey of what has been done in the way of decomposing the alkaloids by the different classes of reagents, we review the field, it will be seen that with all the alkaloids mentioned, except the last four, a more or less immediate connection with the pyridine and quinoline bases has been indicated.

But a man of Weiss's type would almost certainly use an alkaloid, on account of its smaller bulk and more ready solubility.