248 



the insolubility of the base in this menstruum renders spirit a better 

 medium, and the best method of bringing about the reaction waa 

 found to be by operations in sealed tubes. At the temperature of 

 212° Fahr. the change is effected in twenty minutes, and this is 

 announced by the complete solubility of the crystalline contents of 

 the tube in boiling water. The new salt proved to have the for- 

 mula of hydriodate of strychnine, in which an atom of hydrogen of 

 the base is replaced by ethyl, or in which an atom of ethyl is attached 

 to it considered as an iodide, formed thus : — 



C« H^ N, O, + C, H J = C^ I J^l^ j N, 0„ H I = C, H„ N, 0„ I. 



Strychnine. New Salt. 



It is soluble in about 50 or 60 parts boiling water, and in about 

 170 parts at 60°; and is deposited from tolerably dilute fluids 

 in fine, white, four-sided prisms ; it is unaltered in the air, and 

 at 212°. 



It yields no base to potass or ammonia, but is precipitated 

 unchanged from its aqueous solution in the cold by the former, 

 more immediately in the heat by the latter. Oxide of silver readily 

 eliminates its iodine, and leaves the base in solution, from which it 

 may be obtained in the crystalline state as a hydrate. These re- 

 actions assimilate the salt to an iodide, and the salts of the base are 

 accordingly named in accordance, but the conventional nomenclature 

 of the base is not altered. Some of these salts are described and 

 their analysis is given in some cases; they are spoken of as being 

 beautiful substances, and easily obtained pure. 



Nitrate of Ethylostrychn'me. — This is a compound of such sparing 

 solubility in cold water, that it has served as a test for the base. 

 From dilute hot aqueous solutions it is deposited in colourless re- 

 fractive prisms of great beauty, which are anhydrous, and have the 

 formula, 



C46 H^e N^ O,, HO, NO, = C,, H,, N, O,, NO,. 



Chromates of Ethylostrychnine. — A neutral and an acid salt exist, 

 both of difficult solubility in cold water, and of a yellow colour ; 

 the former is deposited even from dilute fluids in short prismatic 

 crystals, and the latter as tufts of silky needles. 



Bichromate of Ethylostrychnine. — From strong solutions this salt 



