2IO 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1882. 



acicl with a blood red colour, which soon becomes 

 paler; iu pure concentrated sulphuric acid with a 

 yellowish colour, which upon the addition of a little 

 mulybdic acid becomes first violet and then blue, 

 and upon the addition of potassium dichromate violet. 

 In perchloric acid it dissolves colourless in the cold; 

 upon warming the solution becomes brown-red. The 

 acetic acid solution of loxopterygiue gives with ammonia, 

 caustic soda, and sodium carbonate or bicaibonate a 

 white flocculent precipitate which when dried in the 

 air is anhydrous. 



Loxopterygine melts at 81° C. (uncorr.), and quickly 

 decomposes it this temperature be exceeded; eventually 

 an oil distils over that appears to be chinoline. The 

 analysis was made with the ammonia-precipitated 

 substance; unfortunately, from want of material,* it had 

 to be carried out with very small quantities. The 

 results corresponded with the formula Ci3Hi7NO;but 

 the author has reasons for considering that double this 

 formula — C26H31N2O2 — is more correct. This formula 

 however, is only given with reserve, as the yellow 

 flocculent platinum salt, obtained by precipitating the 

 hydrochloric acid solution of the base with sodium 

 plantiuochloride, gave more platinum than is required 

 for a neutral salt, though this might have been due 

 to an admixture of acid salt. The solution of the 

 alkaloid iti hydrochloric acid gives with mercuric chloride 

 a white amorphous precipitate, with gold cbloricie yellow 

 amorphous flocks very difficultly soluble in acids and 

 water, and with phosphotungstic acid an abundant white 

 amorphous precipitate. 



Besides these two alkaloids and a ta nnic acid the 

 red quebracho bark contains nothing noteworthy. 

 Concluding Obsekvations. 



This above described investigation of the drugs coming 

 from the Argentine Republic under the names of que- 

 bracho bianco and queljeachad Colorado has led to the 

 discovery of several alkaloids, peculiar to each kind 

 of quebracho. Only tliose, however, are of prominent 

 interest which are contained iu the bark of the white 

 quebracho, and which by their reactions and composition 

 give evidence of their relationship to one another. Pass- 

 ing for instance from aspidospermine to the alkaloid met 

 with in the bark of more favourable origin, it may well 

 be imagined that the plant forms from it the other 

 alkaloids in a simple manner, which may be expressed 

 Bomewhat as follows: — 



C23H30N2O2— H2 = C22H28N2O3 

 Aspifiospermine. Aspidospermatine, 

 CaaHssNaOa = C22H28N2O3 



Aspidospermatine. Aspidosamine. 

 C22Ha8N202-CH3 + H = C2lH2(5N202 

 Aspidosamine. Hypoquebrachine. 



CaiH2sN202+0 = C'2lH20N2O3 

 Hypoquebrachine. Quebracbine. 

 Further, it is not impossible that the plant, in another 

 phase of its development, follows the opposite process 

 in the formation of the alkaloids, starting consequently 

 from quebrachiue. 



Nearly allied to these alkaloids are paytine and 

 paytamine, which more than ten years previously the 

 authort se^jarated from a baik at that time unknown 

 to him, but since recognized as from a species of 

 Js2iitlo:<perma. Meanwhile paytamine bus been found 

 to originate simply in are arrangement of paytine, and 

 it has, tbeiefore, a similar composition. Both substances 

 give upon boiling with perchloric acid a fncbsine-red 

 solution, like some of the quebracho alkaloids. With 

 the single exception that paytamine does not take a 

 cherry-red colour with perchloride of iron, this alkaloids 



* From () kilograms only about '5 gram loxopterygine 

 could be obtained. 



] Aimaleii, cliv., 287. The name "paytamine" was 

 first chosen for the amorphous alkaloid in 1877 

 ^Berichte, ix., 2969). 



possesses almost the properties of hypoquebrachine, 

 which it closely approaches also in composition, show- 

 ing only a difference of H2O. 



Hypoquebrachine .... C21H26N2O2 

 Paytamine C21H24N2O. 



Notwithstanding this similarity the author has not 

 succeeded in obtaining paytamine from bark of the 

 white quebracho, or in converting hypoquebrachine into 

 paytamine. Also the attempt to separate hypoquebrach- 

 ine (and aspidospermine) from the white bark from 

 Payta gave a negative result. 



It is therefore established that the bark of the 

 white quebracho and the white bark from Payta, 

 each of them derived from a particular species of 

 Aspidosperiita, do not produce the same alkaloids, but 

 only bases between which there is a resemblance. 

 The possibility, however, is not excluded than in the 

 course of time an Aspidospinma bark may be met 

 with that may contain all these alkaloids together. 

 The genus Aspiidosperma includes forty species, of 

 which at ijresent only two have been examined. 



Moreover, the genus At-pidospermii stands in close 

 relationship to the genus Stnji'Iiiios, and this explains 

 why the Aspidos2)erma bases at present obtained pre- 

 sent in their reactions a certain similarity to the 

 Strychnos bases. This similarity appears to extend 

 even to the physiological action, although the As2>ido- 

 sperma bases are less powerful in their action than 

 the Stryclinos bases, especially curariue. 



Although the general results communicated by 

 Penzoldt might incline us to look favourably upon 

 the bases from Aspidosperiita quebracho, the author 

 is of opinion that the above-mentioned near relation- 

 ship between the two genera should not be overlooked 

 as imposing a certain degree of caution iu the use of 

 the bases iu cpestion. Especiidly he considers it to 

 be indicated that in the treatment of human disease, 

 instead of the miscltmasch of alkaloids from Aspido- 

 spicrma Quebracho the pure alkaloids should be used. 

 This of course would not exclude the miscliiiioscli from 

 being available to the physician; but for the avoidance 

 of confusion he thinks it should not bear the name 

 "aspidospermine," or, as in Buenos Ayres, "quelrach- 

 ine," but should be called "quebraohetum."* 



Finally, in what relation the alkaloids of the red 

 quebracho stand to the Aspidospcnna bases cannot 

 at present be stated; but that they will now and 

 then be met witb in quebrachetum appears probable 

 from the fact, that occasionally this mixture when 

 boiled with perchloric acid will give a bluish or a 

 green solution. Probably in the preparation of such 

 quebrachetum a material has been used consisting more 

 or less of the bark of the red quebracho. — Pharma- 

 ceutical Journal. 



LIBERIAN COFFEE IN TRINIDAD. 



fExtracts from Air. Prestoe's Botanic Gardens Report.) 



LiBEiuAN CorFEE ( Ojffca Liberica). — The Liberian 

 coflee trees being the suujects refen-eJ to in my notices 

 of this coffee published iu 1S76 and 1877, it seems desu-- 

 able to recall here the conditions under which they started 

 and the various featm-es which have presented themselves 

 dming development subsequently. 



Drawing my conclusions from the appearance of 

 the few plants received in 1875 from Kew, as also 

 some information of the habit of gi'owth as presented 

 by this coffee plant in Liberia, they were planted iu a 

 shady position imder a notion that shade was necessary 

 if not indispensable, especially for young plants as they 

 were. 



They were planted at intervals of 10 feet with 

 Moka c offee plants alternating : the only preparation 



* 'I'his word is formed after the model of the word 

 "quinctum," which, as is known, describes a niisckmasch 

 of ciuchoua alkaloids. 



