PALMjE. 529 



silver sulphate, caustic baryta and carbonic acid. The solution 

 of the pure alkaloids was evaporated to dryness and the residue 

 exhausted with cold absolute alcohol (or chloroform). **Are-« 

 cuine '^ remained undissolved, whilst a third alkaloid, together 

 with colouring matter, &c., went into solution, and upon 

 ^evaporation of the alcohol remained as an amorphous mass. 



According to the second method, the powdered areca nuts 

 Were exhausted cold with milk of lime, the filtered extracts 

 neutralized with sulphuric acid and evaporated to a syrupy 

 consistence. By dissolving in a little water and filtering, the 

 gj^psum and separated colouring matter were removed; the 

 solution was then agrain concentrated, made alkaline, and the 

 arecoline shaken out with ether. The other bases were then 

 precipitated as before with potassium-bismuth iodide and 



sulphuric acid. 



The jdeld of arecoline amounted to 0'07, or at most 0-1 per 

 cent.5 that of arecaine to O'l per cent., and that of arecaidine to 

 0*1 per cent, 



Arecoline, C^H'^NO-, was withdrawn from the ether solu- 

 tion obtained as described by shaking it with acidulated water, 

 the neutralized liquid evaporated to a small volume, and after 

 adding sufiicient potash solution again shaken out with ether. 

 The base left upon evaporation of this solution was neutralized 

 with hydrobromic acid, and the dried salt perfectly purified by 

 repeated recrystallization from absolute alcohol. From this 

 purified compound the free base and other salts of it are 

 prepared. 



Arecoline forms a colourless oily liquid of strongly alkaline 

 reaction, which is soluble in all proportions in water, alcohol, 

 ether, and chloroform. It is volatile and can be distilled, the 

 boiling point being 209''C, The salts are easily soluble, 

 some of them deliquescent, but mostly crystallizable. It gives 

 ^'ith potassium-bismuth iodide a pomegranate-red precipitate, 

 consisting of microscopic crystals (a delicate reaction), and with 

 phosphomolybdic acid a white precipitate. Potassium-mercury 

 iodide throws down from solutions not too dilute yellow oily 

 ^J^ops, which after several days solidify and crystalKze; solution 



I1I.-67 



