152 AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS. 
Soda (anhydrous) ... fe Bes 0.48 
Potash - or oa uss 6.96 
Sodium Chloride... ae ren 3.06 
Lime as is = L.wit Ggzaeg 
Magnesia... aut 7 ae 3.61 
Ferric oxide ... tic 2 nab 3-43 
Manganoso-manganic oxide... aes 0.78 
Sulphuric acid (anhydride) ... se 9-33 
Phosphoric peroxide aa ae trace 
Silica ... sek a xa coe, A OG 
Carbonic acid io om as 23.501 
( Watts’ Dict., vi., 1st suppt., 101.) 
Mueller and Rummel, in Wittstein’s Organic Constituents of 
Plants, give the following account of the alkaloid :--A/s/onzn, the 
alkaloid of the bark of AJdstonza constricta, F.v.M., is obtained by 
treating the alcoholic extract with water and a little hydrochloric 
acid, adding to the filtered solution a small excess of ammonia, 
dissolving the separated flocculent precipitate in ether, evaporating 
the ethereal solution, and purifying the remaining alkaloid 
(alstonin) by dissolving again in dilute acid and repeating the 
above process. It forms an orange yellow, brittle, pellucid mass, 
of very bitter taste, melts below 100°, and is carbonised at higher 
temperatures; dissolves easily in alcohol, ether, and dilute acids, but 
sparingly in water. All its solutions in the dilute state exhibit a 
strong blue fluorescence which is not affected by acids or alkalies. 
Its alcoholic solution has a slightly alkaline reaction. <A/dstonzn 
combines with acids, but does not completely neutralise them. 
Hydrochloric and other strong acids, also alkalies, decompose it 
partly on evaporation in the water-bath to a dark-coloured acid 
substance. The hydrochloride of alstonin gives precipitates with 
the chlorides of platinum and mercury, iodide of potassium, the 
phospho-molybdate and meta-tungstate of soda, bichromate of 
potash, picric acid, and with the alkalies and alkaline carbonates. 
Tannic acid does not precipitate the hydrochloride, but does the 
acetate and the pure base. Concentrated nitric acid dissolves 
alstonin with crimson colour, yellow on warming; sulphuric 
acid reddish-brown, afterwards dirty green ; hydrochloric acid only 
