APPENDIX, 89 
extracted from the solution by ether was proved to be a mixture of 
aconine with unaltered aconitine, Using pure aconitine, action 
occurs precisely in accordance with the equation C*7H*°NO™ 
0*°H" NO" +0'H°O", 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 synthesis 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 
unsuccessful in all their attempts to crystallise aconine, but they 
have succeeded in crystallising several 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 crystallisationfrom a 
mixture of alcohol and ether; when dried at 100° it melts at 
175°5° (corr.). The crystals deposited from alcohol have the com- 
position O?°H"*NO*™,HCI,2H?O, When dried at 100° they still retain 
One molecular proportion of water, which is, however, lost at 
The aqueous solution is levo-rotatory: [a],=—7°71°%. It combine 
with auric chloride, forming an aurichloride considerably more sofibis 
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 water. The solution on evaporation furnished 
a hygroscopic, brittle gum which refused to crystallise; this melted 
at 132° (corr.), and on analysis it afforded numbers agreeing with the 
formula C?°H*'NO"™, which is that proposed by Dunstan 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 ther and almost insoluble in chloroform, It is a power- 
ful reducing agent, precipitating the me from solutions of 
gold and silver salts; it also reduces Fehling’s solution, 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 
L 
