522 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1884. 



examiuations. About forty alkaloids of autbentlc origin and great 

 purity have been examined; these may be divided into two groups, as 

 follows: 



(1) Alkaloids and derivatives exhibiting Absorption bands in their Spec- 

 tra. — Aconitiue, pseudoaconitiue, japaconitine, morphine, narcotine, 

 codeine, thebaine, papaverine, oxynarcotine, apomorphine hydrochlo- 

 ride, cotarniue liydrobromide, tetracetyl morphine, diacetyl codeine, 

 quinine, quinine sulphate, cinchouine sulphate, quinidine sulphate, 

 ciuchonidine sulphate, veratrine, piperine, brucine, strychnine. 



(2) Alkaloids yielding continuous Spectra. — Narceine, aconitiue (foreign), 

 cevadine, atropine, solanine, hyoscyamiue, digitaline, picrotoxine, nico 

 tine, caffeine. 



Solutions were carefully made of the same strength in most cases, 

 usually in alcohol. Cells, with quartz sides, varied in thickness from 

 1""" to 20™"". By using electrodes consisting of alloys of tin and cad- 

 mium or of lead and cadmium (20 per cent.), well-defined spectra are ob- 

 tained, with lines of the same intensity, numerous and evenly distrib- 

 uted thronghout a spectrum extending from wave length 4414.5 to 2145.8. 

 The spectra were photographed and the plrotographic impressions were 

 measured by an ivoiy scale divided in liundredths of an inch. The ab 

 sorption curves cannot be here reijroduced. The conclusions drawn from 

 the investigation are in part as follows : The absorption spectra offer a 

 ready and valuable means of ascertaining the purity of preparations of 

 the alkaloids, and j)ractically of establishing their identity. Tlie quan- 

 tity of some of the alkaloids present in a solution may be estimated by 

 means of the absorption curves. The different character of the various 

 aconitines, so called, may be recognized ; thus, the comparatively harm- 

 less base may be distinguished from those of great physiological ac- 

 tivity by its transmission of a continuous spectrum, while the three 

 specimens of [)liysiologically active aconitines are distingnished from one 

 another by characteristic absorption curves. The purity of quinine and 

 absence of any admixture of cinchonine can be readily determined; 

 drugs of such potency as acouitine, morphine, stiychnine, &c., which 

 ought to be prescribed only when of absolute purity, should have their 

 exact nature and degree of purity guaranteed by an examination of 

 their absorption spectra. {Ghem. Wews, l, 287.) 



(k)caine Hydrochhride, a new Anwsthetic. — ^The wonderful anaesthetic 

 l>ioperties of this substance, discovered by Dr. Koller, of Vienna, have 

 given it an interest entirely new. 



The leaves ot UrythroxyJon coca, a plant cultivated in the mountain- 

 ons districts of Peru and Bolivia, have been extensively used by th« 

 natives as a substitute for tobacco, their practice being to chew the 

 leaves to secure power of enduring fatigue even with a scanty supply of 

 food. The plant, especially the leaves, contains an alkaloid which was 

 t^rst extracted in 1853 by Clanlelcc and named l)y him erythroxyline ; 



