820 SOME POISONOUS PLANTS IN N.O. SOLANACE/E, iii., 



Hesults. ^'Extva.ct (a) from 4 kgins. of dried leaves examined 

 in 1911, yielded 2-63gnis. of aurichloride crystals, which were 

 separated into the following fractions : — 



(1) l-32gms. with melting-point 176°C.-178°C. 



(2) 0'72gm. with melting-point \C)b°C. 



(3) 0-59 gm. with melting-point 1 ST'C-IST'C, 

 Extract (b) from H l<gnis. of dried leaves examined in 1915, 



yielded 0-47 gm. of aurichloride salt, and tijis was separated into 

 the following fractions : — 



( 1 ) 0-24 gm. with melting-point 176°C. 



(2)0-15gm with melting-point 165°(;.-166°C. 



(3) 003 gm. with melting-point 1 37°C.-157'C. 

 The total weight of alkaloid, obtained as combined gold salts, 

 thus falls short of the amount represented by the assay value of 

 the leaves. The relative weights of the gold salts, on this 

 account, do not indicate the relative amounts of each alkaloid in 

 the plant, but only the amounts yielded in this case by tlie 

 lengthy and elaborate process described. 



Properties of thk Aurichloride Fractions. 

 First Fraction. 

 Nor-hyoscyamine aurichloride . —The first fraction possessed 

 the melting-point of Carr and Reynolds' norhyoscyamine salt, 

 and the pseudo-hyoscyamine salt of Merck and Hesse; it was 

 recrystallised a number of times, and the melting-point remained 

 constant at HS^C. The crystals separated from dilute hydro- 

 chloric acid in brilliant golden-yellow scales. They contained 

 no water of crystallisation. 



In a weighed portion of this salt the amount of metallic gold 

 was determined. 



Au 31-94% found. 



('32'0% required for norhyoscyamine. 



l31'3% required for hyoscyamine. 



Nor-hyoscyamine picrate. — The aurichloride was converted into 



picrate, by decomposition of the salt with sulphurous acid, and 



precipitation of the alkaloid with picric acid. The precipitate 



was redissolved in water, and crystallised several times, when a 



