1 HE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



257 



WHAT IS THE PURE ACONITINE OF 

 COnriERCE? 



By ALFRED R. L. DOH ME. 



As the result of some experiments 

 made some time since on the value of 

 titration with volumetric acid solution as 

 a means of assaying alkaloidal drugs and 

 galenical preparations, a titration of the 

 various well known pure alkaloids was 

 made in order to substantiate the theory 

 that each cubic centimeter of decinormal 

 acid used in the titration represented so 

 much (a quantity equal to its molecular 

 weight) of each of these alkaloids.* 

 Whereas this work substantiated the 

 theory beautifully, it led to the conclu- 

 sion that one at least of the alkaloids ex- 

 amined was either nor pure or at least 

 very prone to decomposition. This al- 

 kaloid was aconitine. As mentioned in 

 that article, it was decided to examine 

 more carefully the aconitines of the mar- 

 ket and endeavor to detect if they were 

 or were not pure substances. All the 

 available makes of this market were pro- 

 cured and examined, and the results will 

 follow below. Dr. Martin Freund, ot the 

 University of Berlin, who is now engaged 

 in unraveling the mystery of the consti- 

 tution of aconitine, and is hence perhaps 

 the best posted man on the subject, was 

 appealed to, and his reply intimated the 

 possibility of a decomposition during the 

 process of titration due to the combined 

 action of heat and dilute acid on the al- 

 kaloid. This was not the case, however, 

 as heat was not applied during the pro- 

 cess of titration in case of aconitine, and 

 in all the experiments tabulated below 

 no heat was applied. Before discussing 

 the results let us inquire as to what 

 aconitine is liable to contain as contami- 

 nations- Aconite root contains the fol- 

 lowing alkaloids combined with aconitic 

 acid : 



Aconitine — C.^H^NO! , — rhombic 



*New England Druggist, January, 1895 



tables, insoluble in water, melting point 

 197-198 C. 



Apoaconitine — C :;4 H 4 -NO 10 — crys- 

 talline — melting point 1 85-1 86° C. 



Aconine — C 2 5 H 4 , NO y — amorphous — 

 melting point 130 C. 



Picroaconitine and picroaconine are the 

 same, respectively, as aconitine and 

 aconine. 



Pseudaconitine — needles — C 36 H 49 

 NOj 2 -j-H 2 — melting point "104- 105 

 C. 



Pseudaconine — amorphous — C 27 H 41 

 N0 9 — soluble in water — melting point 

 unknown. 



Aconitine and pseudaconitine are dif- 

 ferent, because the former yields on sa- 

 ponification benzoic acid and aconine, 

 while the latter yields on saponification 

 veratric acid (dimethyl-protocatechuic 

 acid) and pseudaconine. Aconine, apo- 

 aconine and pseudaconine are decompo- 

 sition products of the corresponding 

 aconitines. This chapter is, however, 

 quite dark yet and statements conflict 

 very much, so that, as in the case of 

 ergot, every new investigator finds a new 

 alkaloid in the drug and gives it a new 

 name. When Dr. Freund gets finished 

 with this drug it is probable that we will 

 know something definite about it. In 

 order to be able to report upon the aconi- 

 tines of the market a sample of each was 

 procured in an original package, includ- 

 ing the products of Messrs. Rosengarten 

 & Sons, Powers & Weightman, Mallin- 

 ckrodt Chemical Works, Merck, C. F. 

 Boehringer & Soehne, and Duquesnel, 

 of France. The color of these products 

 varied from a pure white to a dark cream 

 color, and in consistency from a flaky 

 amorphous to a granular crystalline. 

 They were tested as to their melting 

 points with the following results : 



I.,f melting point, 105-107 C. ; II., 



fThese numbers have no special reference to the order 

 in which the products are enumerated. 



