158 - AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS. 
Atherospermine forms a white, somewhat greyish, light, highly 
electric powder, inodorous, and having a pure bitter taste. It turns 
yellowish when exposed to sunshine, melts at 128°, and at a 
higher temperature emits an empyreumatic odour, takes fire, and 
burns away without residue; when slowly heated it gives off 
an odour of putrid meat, and afterwards of herrings ( propyla- 
miner). Itis nearly insoluble in water, dissolves with difficulty 
in ether, more easily in alcohol, the solution having a distinct 
alkaline reaction; is soluble also in chloroform, oil of turpentine, 
and other volatile oils. When dissolved in dilute acids, it neutra- 
lises them with formation of varnish-like salts. In contact with 
iodic acid and a little water, it liberates iodine with brown colour. 
The neutral solution of the alkaloid in hydrochloric acid is preci- 
pitated white by alkalies and alkaline carbonates, yellow by picric 
acid, yellowish-white by tannic acid, dirty-yellow by phospho- 
molybdic acid, pale yellow by platinic chloride; it likewise preci- 
pitates with iodide, ferrocyanide and sulphocyanide of potassium, 
auric chloride, &c.. The formula of atherospermine has not yet 
been ascertained. (Zeyer in Watt's Dict., vi., suppt., 231.) 
The following account of <Asherospermine will also be 
interesting :— 
Atherospermine—C, H,, NO. (?) Alkaloid of the bark of 
Atherospermine moschatum. Extract with warm water, acidified 
by sulphuric acid, and precipitate with carbonate of soda. Wash 
and dry the precipitate and extract with bi-sulphide of carbon. 
Distil with water containing sulphuric acid, precipitate the 
remaining liquid with ammonia, wash and dry the deposit. It is 
a white, voluminous, highly electric powder, of crystalline 
appearance under the microscope, and of a pure and lasting bitter 
taste. Water dissolves only traces of it, but acquires a bitter 
taste; ether dissolves at 16° one-thousandth, when boiling, 
one-hundredth ; alcohol of 93 per cent. at 16° one-thirty-second 
part, at the boiling point half its weight. Of greater solvent 
power are chloroform, bi-sulphide.of carbon, oil of turpentine and 
other essential oils and diluted acids. Chlorine-water produces a 
yellow solution, not changeable by ammonia. Iodic acid gives 
with atherospermine the same re-action as towards morphine and 
