STUDIES OF SOME COMPOUNDS OF CINCHONA 



ALKALOIDS, CERTAIN METALS AND 



PHOSPHORIC ACID* 



EDWIN D. WATKINS 

 {University of Tennessee, Memphis) 



During the year 1900, under the direction of Prof. J. W. Mallet 

 of the University of Virginia, I undertook some studies of Com- 

 pounds of alkaloids and metals. The alkaloids were principally 

 those of cinchona, and the metals were of several groups. This 

 work was abandoned before anything definite was accompHshed, 

 although I had reason to beheve that some Compounds had been 

 made. In an attempt to obtain better means of treating gonorrheal 

 Urethritis than was available, I again turned my attention, in 1910, 

 to a study of alkaloidal and metalhc Compounds. 



Cinchona alkaloids, especially quinin, were studied because of 

 their protoplasmic poisonous qualities, and the fact that there had 

 been some success with quinin in the treatment of infections. The 

 success of Helmholtz and others with quinin as an antiseptic war- 

 ranted a close study of it. The known gonococcidal effect of silver 

 commended that metal. 



Many efforts to combine different acids and various radicals with 

 quinin and silver resulted in failure until orthophosphoric acid was 

 tried. An aqueous sol. of silver nitrate was treated with a conc. 

 sol. of sodium phosphate to complete precipitation of the silver 

 as phosphate. The yellow silver phosphate was washed by decan- 

 tation and then on a filter. It was then treated with syrupy ortho- 

 phosphoric acid to complete Solution. The resulting sol. was 

 treated with pure quinin until no more of the alkaloid was taken up. 

 As the point of Saturation was reached, the sol. changed to a darker 

 color. 



This Solution was used clinically, diluted as found best by trial. 



There is no Intention of going into a clinical discussion in this com- 



* Proceedings of the Columbia University Biochemical Association, Feb. 5, 

 1915; BiocHEM. Bull., 1915, iv, p. 227. 



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