SEMEN STAPHISAGRI^. 7 



chloroform, or benzol. The alkaloid has an extremely burning and 

 acrid taste, and is highly poisonous. 



Couerbe^ in 1833 pointed out the presence in stavcsacre of a second 

 alkaloid separable from delphinine by ether in which it is insoluble. 



The treatment of the shell of the seed with chromic acid, detailed 

 above, shows that this part of the drug is the principal seat of the 

 alkaloids ; and the albumen indeed furnishes no crystals of any 

 chromate. In confirmation of this view we exhausted about 400 

 grammes of the entire seeds with warm spirit of wh^e acidulated with 

 a little acetic acid. The liquid was allowed to evaporate and the 

 residue mixed with warm water. The solution thus obtained, separated 

 from the resin, yielded on addition of chromic acid an abundant 

 precipitate of chromate. The same solution likewise furnished copious 

 precipitates when bichloride of platinum,^ iodohj^drargyrate of potassium, 

 or bichromate of potassium were added. By repeating the above 

 treatment on a larger scale we obtained crystals of delphinine of con- 

 siderable size, and also a second alkaloid not soluble in ether. 



In the laboratory of Dragendorff, Marquis. in 1877 succeeded in 

 isolating the following alkaloids: — 1. Delphinine, (T-H^NO^ yielding 

 crystals one inch in length, belonging to the rhombic s^'stem. They 

 are soluble in 11 parts of ether, 15 parts of chloroform, and 20 of 

 absolute alcohol. 2. Sfaphisagrine, C"H'"NO^, is amorphous, soluble 

 in less than 1 part of ether, also in 200 parts of water at 150^ This 

 alkaloid, although it would appear to be the anhydride of the former, 

 is in every respect widely different from delphinine. 3. Delpltinoidine 

 (formula not quite settled), amorphous, soluble in three parts of ether, 

 more abundantly occurring in the seed than the two former alka- 

 loids. In its physiological action delphinoidine agrees with delphinine, 

 not with staphisagrine. 4. Delphisine (formula doubtful) forms 

 crystalline tufts, occurs in but small amount, is sparingly soluble in 

 alcohol, chloroform, or ether. — The total amount of alkaloids afforded 

 by stavesacre is about 1 per cent. 



By exhausting the seeds with boiling ether, we get 27 per cent, 

 of a greenish, fatty oil, which continued fluid even at —5'' C It con- 

 creted by means of hyponitric acid, and is therefore to be reckoned 

 among the non-drying oils ; it contained a large part of the alkaloids. 



The drug air-dry contains 8 per cent, of hygroscopic water. Dried 

 at 100'' C. and incinerated it left 8"7 per cent, of ash. 



Nothing exact is known of the Delphinic aeid of Hofschliiger (about 

 1820) said to be crystalline and volatile. 



Commerce — The seeds are imported from Trieste and from the 

 south of France, especially from Nismes, near which city as well as in 

 Italy (Puglia) the plant is cultivated. 



Uses — Stavesacre seeds are still employed as in old times for the 

 destruction of pedicidi in the human subject, for which purpose they 

 are reduced to powder which is dusted among the hair. Dr. Balmanno 

 Squire^ having ascertained that jn'urigo senilis is dependent on the 

 presence of pediculuSy has recommended an ointment of which the 



^ Ann.de Chimie el dePhi^.i Ail (1833) 3b2. ^ Pharm, Joiirn. vi. (ISO")) 405, and vii. 



- The platinic compmmd is in fine micro- (I'^T/ ) 1043. 

 scopic crystals. 



