228 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



whereby a nearly white precipitate was 

 formed, which passed into a tenacious 

 mass; the clear liquid was poured off, 

 and more ethereal HC1 added, until the 

 whole of the alkaloid was precipitated, 

 the various fractions, a, b, c, d, e and/", 

 being obtained. Each of these alkaloidal 

 salts was dissolved in ioocc. of distilled 

 water, and portions set aside; only one, 

 b, formed crystals of hydrochlorate. 



Ths compound f was very small in 

 quantity; a and e were, therefore, chosen 

 for conversion into gold and platinum 

 double salts. The filtrate from each of 

 these compounds was treated with sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen, filtered, and the 

 filtrate agitated with ether, after render- 

 ing alkaline by ammonia. The traces of 

 alkaloid so obtained were weighed and 

 deducted from the original amount taken, 

 tor calculation of the percentage present 

 in the double compounds. 



Plantinum Salts (Anhydrous). 



Alkaloid A. Alkaloid B. 



Per cent. Per cent. 



Platinum- 21.30 21.57 



Alkaloid _ 55.24 53.81 



The formula for Paul's alkaloids require: 

 Emetine. Cephasline. 



(M. W. 248). (M. W. 234). 



Per cent. Per cent. 



Platinum 21.46 22.15 



Alkaloid 54.78 53.34 



Kunz's formula requires (M, W. 508): 

 Per cent. 



Platinum 21. 18 



Alkaloid 55-38 



Gold Salts (dried at 49 C, decomposed at 

 ioo° C). 



Alkaloid A. Alkaloid E. 



Per cent. Per cent. 



Gold 32.44 32.20 



Alkaloid 40.95 — 41-01 



Paul's alkaloids require: 



Emetine. Cephaeline. 



Per cent. Per cent. 



Gold 3245 33-22 



Alkaloid- 40.96 - 39. 56 



Kunz's formula requires: 



Per cent. 



Gold 32.13 



Alkaloid 41-55 



Tho gold salts of these two alkaloids 

 are practically identical in composition, 

 and the figures agree closely with those 



required by emetine (Paul), neither cor- 

 responding with cephaeline, or with 

 Kunz's formula for emetine. Neither of 

 the platinum salts corresponds with 

 that of cephaeline; that of a agrees fairly 

 with either Paul's or Kunz's emetine, 

 and the amount of platinum in the e 

 compound is near that of Paul's emetine; 

 the low figure for alkaloid in this case is 

 probably an experimental error. 



These being extreme fractions of the 

 original alkaloidal substance (except the 

 very small amount of/), it is reasonable to 

 conclude that each of the above fractions 

 is of the same composition; and, there- 

 fore, that this sample of ipecacuanha 

 contains no cephaeline, but only emetine, 

 in the ether-soluble alkaloid. 



When the alkaloid from either of the 

 fractions a to e is dissolved in chloroform 

 and the solvent allowed to evaporate 

 spontaneously, the residue obstinately 

 retains chloroform. This compound fuses 

 at about 50 C, but does not lose its chlo- 

 roform, even at 6o° C, at which tempera- 

 ture about 14 percent, is retained. When 

 cold the compound is quite hard, and the 

 addition of the dilute hydrochloric acid 

 causes the separation of chloroform in 

 drops. At 82 C the chloroform volati- 

 lises, leaving the alkaloid pure. 



A solution of either of these fractions 

 in water does not yield quite the whole 

 of the alkaloid when agitated with ether 

 and ammonia; in every case a trace of 

 alkaloid was left, which readily dissolved, 

 to a yellowish fluorescent solution in 

 chloroform, just as was observed when 

 treating the original solution of the alco- 

 holic extract of the root. This is worthy 

 of further research, for it leads to the 

 suggestion that the chloroform soluble 

 alkaloid may be produced by the action 

 of the alkali upon emetine. 



The figures for platinum salts given 

 above are those formed in the presence of" 



