14 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 



THE CHEMISTRY OF THE SOLANACEOUS ALKALOIDS* 



By Curt P. Wimmer, A. M., Phar. D. 



[Continued from January Issue.) 



Reduction by Zn and Na (OH). 



-C^g H-gCCL 



/CHgOH 



-CgH^^CH 



/CHgOH 



\COOH " " \COOH 



Chlor-phenyl hydracrylic Acid. Tropic Acid. 



The opically inactive variety of acid is obtained. By means of the 

 quinine salt, the two active modifications can be separated. The 

 dextro rotary acid melts at 127-1280C. the laevo rotary at ISS^C. 



TROPIN, CgH^gNO. 



After many years of research work by such well known men as 

 Mehrling and Ladenburg, two totally different formulae for Tropic 

 were offered by them, 



HC\ /CH CH, CH, OH 



CHOH 



Mehrling's Formula. 



N 



I 



CHs 



Ladenburg's Formula. 



Willstatter, one of the brightest and most successful of the present 

 day organic chemists, next took up the researches of Tropin ' and 

 proved quickly that neither of the two older formula was correct. 

 His investigations solved the problem completely. He showed, that 

 Tropin can be, by a series of reactions, changed into normal pimelinic 

 acid. Consequently, Tropin must contain an unbranched 7 carbon 



*Read in Organic Chemical Conference, Columbia University. 



