88 APPENDIX. 
is probably associated with another amorphous alkaloid about which 
they have at present little information to give beyond the fact that 
neither it nor its salts appear to crystallize. 
The alkaloid soluble in chloroform was proved to be aconine, the 
compound which is obtained together with benzoic acid on hydro- 
lysing aconitine. 
The roots of true Aconitum Napellus, therefore, must be held to 
contain three alkaloids, one of which is crystalline, viz., aconitine, 
two being amorphous, viz., napelline and aconine. Indications have 
been obtained of the presence of a fourth alkaloid, which is amor- 
phous and closely resembles napelline. 
The authors find that the juice expressed from the roots contains 
a large proportion of amorphous bases but very little aconitine, the 
‘ch it 
aloid obtained amounted to more than twice that of aconitine. 
The Joga en action of the alkaloids referred to is being 
investigated. The results so far obtained point to the conclusion 
that crystalline qeoatiins is by far the most toxic of the alkaloids 
contained in Aconitum Napellus. 
The formation and Fone ee et fetes and its conversion 
o Acon 
Owing to the acid which exists with reference to the pro- 
duct of the hydrolysis of aconitine, Professor W. R. Dunstan and 
Dr. F. W, Passmore have re-investigated the subject, using a pure 
alkaloid. Wright and Luff have stated that when aconitine is hydro- 
lysed, the sole products are aconine and benzoic acid, More recently, 
however, Dragendorff and Jiirgens have asserted that the hydro- 
lysis occurs in two stages, their contention being that benzoic acid 
. and an alkaloid identical with the picraconitine isolated by Wright 
and Luff from the roots of supposed Aconitum Napellus are 
formed in the first stage, while in the second stage the picraconitine 
is hydrolysed into benzoic acid, or alcohol, and aconine, which 
last is the final product of hydrolysis 
The authors have carefully hydrol wid pure aconitine by heating it 
with water in closed tubes at 150°, but have been unable to obtain at 
any stage either picraconitine or methyl alcohol, The alkaloid 
