CORTEX CINCHONA. 



359 



quinamine in tho bark of G. siiccirubra ; its composititju is not yet 

 known. 



Aricine, C^^'H^'^N'O^ and Cusconine, C^R^W-O^i-^ 0H^ occur in 

 the so-called false Cinchona barks of not ascertained botanic origin. 

 These alkaloids differ in many respects from those of true Cinchona 

 barks.^ 



Pitoyine was pointed out by Peretti (1837), but Hesse lias shown 

 (1873) that the bark called China hicolorata Tecamez- or Pltoya Baric 

 from which it was obtained, is altogether destitute of alkaloid. 



Lastly may be mentioned Faytine, C^^ff^N^O + OH^ a crystalliz- 



able alkaloid discovered in 1870 by Hesse in a wdiite bark of uncei'tain 

 origin.^ It is allied to quinamine and quiuidine, but has not been met 

 with in any known cinchona bark. 



By heating for a length of time solutions of the cinchona alkaloids 



with an excess of some mineral acid, Pasteur (1753) obtained amorphous 

 modifications of the natural bases. Quinine thus afforded Quinicine, 

 having the same composition ; cinchonine and cinchonidine furnished 

 Cinchonicine, likewise agreeing in composition with the alkaloids from 

 which it originates. These amorphous products may also be obtained 

 by heating the natural bases ,in glycerin at 200° C, when a red sub- 

 stance is also formed. In quinine manufactories, amorphous alkaloids 

 are constantly met with, being partly produced in the course of the 

 manipulations to which the materials are subjected. Yet cinchona 

 harks also afford amovplious alkaloids at the very outset of analysis, 

 whence we must infer their existence in the living plant. 



The name Quinoidinc (or rather " CMnioidin ") was applied by 

 Serturner (1829) to an uncrystallizable basic substance, which ho pre- 

 pared from cinchona barks, and found to be a peculiar alkaloid. The 

 term has subsequently been bestowed upon a preparation which has 

 found its way into commerce and medical practice, in the form of a dark 

 hrown brittle extractiform mass, softening below 100° C, and having 

 usually a slight alkaline reaction. It is obtained in quinine factories 

 by precipitating the brown mother- liquors w^ith ammonia, and contains 

 the amorphous alkaloids naturally occurring in the barks. Quinoidin 

 should not be used unless, when previously dried at 100°, it proves to 

 afford at least 70 per cent, of alkaloids soluble in ether. 



Quinine and the allied alkaloids have not been met wnth m any 

 appreciable amount in other parts of the cinchonas than the bark nor 

 has their presence been ascertained in other plants than those ol the 

 tribe Cinclioneoi, 



Characters of the Cinchona Alkaloids. 

 1. Quinine.— li is obtained from alcoholic solutions, in prisms of the 



:%v by 



o 



2 ^^^rhool qfPharm. 1878. 50. 

 «,^ n*' ^^ ^'^^^ ^™"i Tecamez or Tacaraes, a 

 TK I P^"^ ^^ Ecuador in about lat. 1 ° K. 

 wt' ^^ ^liich was first noticed in Lam- 

 1797* ,^^*"''>''c?i of the Gemi^ Cinchona, 

 oriEi' T*^!^- "■' ^^ of unknown botanical 



&^ In its external appearance, as well 



posure over oil ot vitrioi, anu tucj^ 



as in its structure, tlii-s bark is widely dif- 

 ferent from any Cinchona bark. -See also 

 Voel in the second pamphlet quoted at 

 page' Sn. 10; Obertin and Schlagden- 

 Iiatffen, Journ. de Pharm. 28. (1878) 2o2. 

 » Fllickiger in Wiggers and Huscmann, 

 Jahnsbericht ioT 1812. 132. 



