APPENDIX. 89 



extracted from tlie solutiou by ether was proved to bo a mixture of 

 aconinc with unaltered aconitine. Using j)ure aconitine, action 

 occurs precisely in accordance with the equation C'''°II*"'NO^^ +H'0 — 

 C'°H"XO'' + C'H''0% leaving little doubt that aconitine is benzoyl- 

 aconine. 



Although attempts to establish the correctness of this inference by, 

 heating aconine with benzoic anhydride were without result, anhydro- 

 aconitine was eventually obtained by the interaction of aconine and 

 ethylic benzoate at 130° : as the anhydro-compound is convertible 

 into aconitine, the partial syntbesis of the alkaloid thus effected 

 leaves no doubt that it is benzoylaconine. 



Up to the present time, neither aconine nor its salts have been 

 obtained in a crystalline state. The authors have hitherto been 

 unsnccessful in all their attempts to crystallise aconine, but they 

 have succeeded in crystallising ssveral of its salts, viz , the chlor- 

 hydride, bromhydride, sulphate, and nitrate. All these salts are 

 very soluble in water, the chlorhydride being least soluble and the 

 easiest to crystallise : it is best prepared by crystaUisation from a 

 mixture of alcohol and ether; when dried at 100° it melts at 

 n5-6° (corr.). The crystals deposited from alcohol have the com- 

 position C2"Hi^NO^^,HCl,2H^O. When dried at 100° they still retain 

 one molecular proportion of water, which is, however, lost at 120°. 

 The aqueous solution is Icevo-rotatory: [a]^ = -7vl°. It combines 

 with auric chloride, forming an aurichloride considerably more soluble 

 than the corresponding aconitine salt. 



Aconine was prepared from the pure chlorhydride by adding silver 

 sulphate and subsequent treatment of the aconine sulphate with 

 exactly sufficient baryta wator. The solution on evaporation furnished 

 a hygroscopic, brittle gum which refused to crystallise ; this melted 

 at 132^ (corrO, and on analysis it afforded numbers agreeing with the 

 formula C^'H^NO^S which is that proposed by Danstan and Ince 

 from the results of their study of pure aconitine. Aconine is very 

 soluble in water ; the aqueous solution is alkaline. When dry it is 

 insoluble in ether and almost insoluble in chloroform. It is a power- 

 ful reducing agent, precipitating the metals from so utions of 

 gold and Silver salts; it also reduces Fehling s so ution The 

 physiological action of pure aconine is being investigated. Its 

 aqueous solution is slightly bitter and gives rise to a burning 

 sensation in the mouth, but does not produce the tingling which is 



