Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 323 



The alkalies when boiling transform pseuderythrine into carbonate, 

 alcohol and orcine : 



Cio H'2 4 +H 2 = C0 2 +C 3 H 6 O + C 7 H 8 O. 



pseuderythrine alcohol orcine. 



The formulas by which the authors represent lecanorine and pseu- 

 derythrine agree perfectly with the analyses of MM. Schunck, Liebig, 

 Kane, Rochleder and Heldt. 



As to orceine, which is a red uncrystallizable colouring matter, the 

 following relations agree very well with the analysis of M. Dumas : 



C? H 8 2 + 0'+NH 3 =2H 2 O + C 7 H 2 NtX 

 orcine orceine. 



Comptes Rendus, Aout 1848. 



ON PSEUDOQUINA A NEW ALKALOID. BY M. MENGARDUQUE. 



M. Pelouze had in his laboratory an extract of cinchona, the source 

 of which was uncertain ; he gave it to the author for examination 

 as an exercise. This substance was of a deep brown colour, friable, 

 very bitter, slightly soluble in water, soluble in acids, which it satu- 

 rated like the alkaloids, and formed true saline solutions, from which 

 water precipitated it as a pitchy mass. This matter, treated by the 

 processes for the extraction of quina and cinchonia, did not yield the 

 least trace of either of these alkaloids ; nor was the cinchovatine of 

 M. Manzine met with in it ; but the author was so fortunate as to 

 discover an alkaloid which he believes to be new, and which he so 

 described as to leave no doubt in the mind of M. Pelouze, who wit- 

 nessed his experiments. 



This alkaloid differs from the substances by which it is accompa- 

 nied in the extract, in saturating acids more perfectly, insomuch 

 that it expels ammonia from its compounds, like lime or barytes ; it 

 scarcely dissolves even in boiling aether, and of these properties ad- 

 vantage was taken in order to effect its separation. 



The extract was boiled with an equal weight of hydrochlorate of 

 ammonia till ammonia ceased to be evolved. On cooling, a very 

 abundant brown matter was deposited of a syrupy consistence, upon 

 which floated a limpid liquid of a light amber colour. This liquor, 

 poured off and filtered, was precipitated by ammonia. 



The product thus obtained was yellowish and flocculent, suscep- 

 tible of softening, and agglutinating by heat. It was dried and 

 treated with rold aether, which dissolved the greater part of it, and 

 left a pulverulent white matter, which was the new alkaloid in a state 

 of purity. 



This product, thus purified, possessed the following characters : 

 subjected to heat on platina foil it fuses, and then burns with a blue 

 flame without leaving any residue. It is insoluble in water and in- 

 sipid, soluble in alcohol, and much more so when hot than cold ; its 



