OTAGO INSTITUTE. 



1909. 



First Meeting • Tuesday, 11th May, 1909. 



Professor James Park, President, in the chair. 



The following new members have been elected since the last meeting : 

 Messrs. Charles E. Clarke, Henry Guthrie, J. C. Marshall. .J. A. Fitzgerald, 

 J. G. Paterson, M.A., M.Sc. 



Two new members, duly proposed and seconded, were now elected — 

 Messrs. Edward F. Roberts and David Miller. 



An original paper, by Bernard Cracroft Aston, F.C.S., communicated 

 by G. M. Thomson, F.L.S.— " The Alkaloids of the Pukatea "*~was laid 

 on the table for pubhcation in the Transactions. 



Abstract. 



The pukatea (Luurelia novce-zealandice) is one of the most characteristic trees of 

 the northern part of New Zealand, and belongs to the Jlonimiacece, a small family 

 best represented in the tropics. The genus is confined to South America and New 

 Zealand. 



Attention was first drawn by the author (New Zealand Department of Agriculture 

 Report, 1901, p. 284) to the occurrence of alkaloids in the tree ; and the peculiar property 

 possessed by the bark of causing, when chewed, a tingling sensation on the tongue was 

 traced to an alkaloid of definite melting-point. More recently the investigation of the 

 bark has been continued. It has been found that the alkaloid, melting at 200° C, for 

 which the name " pukateine " is proposed, has the composition and molecular weight 

 corresponding to the formula C'l-H^yNOa. At least one other alkaloid is present in 

 mother licpiors obtained in the extraction of pukateine. Pukateine hydrochloride is 

 only mildly toxic. 



Experimental. 



Fresh bark weighing 75 kilos (166 lb.) from trees in the Marlborough Sounds, col- 

 lected in July, was reduced to a fine pulp and steeped in alcohol containing 0-5 per cent, 

 of acetic acid. By three similar treatments 21-75 gallons of alcoholic extract were ob- 

 tained. From the cooled and filtered hot acpieous extract of the alcoholic residue the 

 pukateine was obtained by shaking the acid extract with chloroform. The chloroformic 

 residue yielded the alkaloid in white prisms on the addition of a little alcohol. 



A sample of the crushed bark was found to contain 0-7 per cent, of approximately 

 pure pukateine — a yield not realised on a large scale, as only 64 grams of the alkaloid 

 were obtained from the 166 lb. of bark. The content of alkaloid in the bark appeared 

 to vary at different times of the year. If the bark is allowed to stand in a dry room 

 some months befoi'e extraction the yield is very small. 



Pukateine is a white crystalline alkaloid, melting at 200° C. (uncorr. ), insoluble in 

 water, sparingly soluble in light petroleum, more soluble in ether, and absolute in alcohol. 

 The freshly precipitated base is very soluble in ether and chloroform. Pukateine is 

 precipitated from its solution in slight excess of acetic acid by iodine in potassic iodide, 



*'rhe full details of the research may be found in the annual reports of the Departnv>nt of Agri- 

 culture for 1907 (p. 31) and 1908 (p. 224), and in the forthcoming volume of the Au.stralasiau Association 

 for the Advancement of Science (Brisbane meeting). 



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