854 METHYL LiEVO-INOSITOL IN A POISONOUS PLANT, 



groups present in tlie molecule, by Perkin's modification of the 

 method of Zeisel. By heating in pure liydriodic acid, methyl 

 iodide distilled over into silver nitrate solution. 



0*2 gm. gave ... 0-2315 gm. silver iodide. 



Representing . . . 00306 gm. CH...O. 



C.Ji^ ^0^. requires 0'0310 gm. for one CH.jO group. 



Tlie substance can, therefore, be represented by the foi-mula 

 CH.. -C^^H^ ^O,;, and the residue remaining in the Zeisel apparatus 

 should possess the formula C^HjoOg. In order to recover this 

 substance for examination, the solution, from which the methyl 

 iodide had been driven off, was lieated on the water-bath to 

 remove hydriodic acid, and then ev^aporated to dryness. By 

 extracting this residue with alcohol and cooling to 0°C., white 

 crystals were recovered. 



Crystals dried in desiccator and weighed... OvlGOgm. 

 Crystals dried at llO^'C. and weighed ... 0"160gm. 

 C-H^^O,. — 0-2 gm. requires ... ... O'lSGgm. 



The crystals are, therefore, without water of crystalli.sation. 

 The low yield may be accounted for by partial decomposition 

 during the boiling with hydriodic acid, as the odour of benzene 

 and phenol was distinctl)^ detected. 



(9) Pro])erfieti of the demethylatfd substance. — After three crys- 

 tallisations, the substance gave a melting-point of 238°C., and 

 charred at 239X\, carefully determined on an Anschiitz standard 

 thermometer with the column submerged. 



This substance also gave a negative result with Molisch's test, 

 proving the absence of all open-chain carbohydrates; and since 

 benzene and phenol were identified as decomposition-products of 

 the ester, the possible cyclic compounds may next be considered. 



The formula C,;Hj^Og is contained in the inositol ring, for 

 the identification of which the following reactions are specific: — 



{a) Scherer's test gave positive reactions with this substance, 

 and likewise with the original methyl derivative. When a little 

 of the solution is evaporated with nitric acid, neutralised with 

 ammonia, and calcium or barium chloride added, a brilliant rose- 

 red colour appears. (Liebig's Annalen der Chemie u. Pharm. 81, 

 1852, 375). 



