14.  * RANUNCULACE. 
violet ; this reaction is not exhibited by aconitine, nepaline, 
or commercial lycoctonine. Syrupy phosphoric acid yields,. 
with lycaconitine, a violet solution when warmed. Lycaconi- a 
tine is incompletely precipitated by caustic potash, ammonia, — 
and alkaline carbonates ; strong alkalies partially decompose it. — 
The foregoing details suffice to show that lycaconitine is not — 
identical with Hiibschmann’s lycoctonine or acolyctine, nor 
with aconitine or nepaline, or indeed with any known alkaloid. — 
Alkaloid sparingly soluble in ether.—This alkaloid, extracted — 
with chloroform, after the separation of the lycaconitine 
by ether, differs so strikingly from Hubschmann’s acolyc- 
tine that the possibility of identity appears to be excluded. | 
’ It was named myoctonine, in reference to a species of aconite, : 
myoctonon, mentioned by Pliny. It is amorphous, and the — 
salts it forms could not be crystaljized. Analysis showed the 
formula of the alkaloid after drying over sulphutic acid to be 
C27 H*® N® O8, and the correctness of this formula was con- 
firmed by an examination of the salts. Bisulphide of carbon, | 
absolute alcohol, benzol, and chloroform dissolve the alkaloid — 
in almost any proportion. The taste is bitter, not pungent, — 
Tt is dextro-rotatory, melts at 143° to 144°, and gives a preci- © 
_ pitate with alkaloid group-reagents, but yields no character- 
istic colour reactions. 
Warmed with 4 per- cent. solution of caustic soda, myocto- | 
nine decomposes, like lycaconitine, into lycoctonine, lycoe- 4 
tonic acid, an-alkaloid resembling acolyctine, and a fourth 
body the nature of which could not be ascertained. From 
this it is evident that the long-continued heating with car-_ 
bonate of soda, to which Hiibschmann subjected the alkaloids” 
originally present in the root, converted them into lycoctonine — 
and lycoctonic acid; one or other of these then probably yields 
acolyctine by further decomposition. Physiological experi- _ 
_ ments with lycaconitine and myoctonine conducted by M. 
Salmonowitz showed the latter to be a powerful *poison x 
> resembling curare in its action, and acting most energetically. 
| when introduced directly into the circulation. The 
‘ye 
