42 



IHCTIONAKY OF TlIU ACTIVU PIUNfU-LKS OF FLAN IS. 



Precipitants : Alkaline hydrates. 



Aninionia. 

 ( f) PARAMENISPEHMINE A. ; crytalline ; M.P. 250°, and volatile. 

 Soluble irj alcohol, almost insoluble in ether, and not dissolved by 

 water. 'I'hoiiiih soluble in acids, no salts are formed. 



§ 73. COLCHICQM autumnale (C. Alpinum, C. Arenariura, C. Mon- 

 tanuin, and (). Xeapolitaniim) ; (Uilch/cuceii'. 



(a) COLCHICINE A., (Colchiceine-inetliyl ether) (C.,,H,5N0e, Zeisl) ; 

 amorphous ; yellowish-white, giiniuiv usually, although prismatic crystals 

 are obtainable ; M.P. 1-10°, or 14:3''-147° (Zeisl) ; hevo-rotatory) ; feebly 

 alkaline ; bitter. Yields Colchiceine and a yellowish-green resin on boiling 

 with acids. 



Soluble in water in all proportions, very readily in alcohol : also in 

 chloroform, benzene, and amyl alcohol. In ether, Dragendorff describes 

 it as soluble, but Z^isl as scarcely so. Insoluble in petroleum ether. 



It is removed from uviU solutions by amyl alcohol, also in part by 

 benzene and chloroform. 

 Precipitants : 



[Alkaline hydrate, pp. if acid and warm, soluble in excess, yellow.] 



I Not lead acetate, neutral or b.isic] 



Tannic acid, 1 in 2,6UO ; sol. in alcohol and acetic acid. 



[Not picric acid, unless concentrated.] 



[No colour ferric chloride V] 



Jflatinum chloride, not at once 1 in 125, but after twenty-four hours 



1 in a.OOO. 

 Gold chloride pp., reduction of gold after twenty-four hours. 

 [Not potass, ferrocyanide, unless concentrated.] 

 [Silver potassic cyanide, not 1 in 3,000.] 

 [Potassium bichromate, noi 1 in 3,000.] 

 Phosj.ho-molybdic acid, 1 in 3,ii00. 

 lodo-potassic iodide, 1 in 2,500. 

 Bismuth-potassic iodide, 1 in 3,000. 

 [Cadmiiim-potassic iodide, only if concentrated.] 

 [Mercuric-potassic iodide, only when acidulated and not dilute.] 

 [Mercuric chloride, if concentrated.] 

 Chlorine water, yellow pp. ; sol. ammonia, orange. 



Colour tests (besides those formed by precipitants above) ; 

 Concentrated sulphuric acid, yellow. 



„ „ with sugar, yellow, 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, with potass, bichromate, green, then 

 brown. 

 „ „ „ with nitric acid, blue. 



Potash added to this after the solntion has faded in colour, red. 

 Nitre or nitric acid after tt-n hours' solution in sulphuric acid-v>.violet- 



red-v\.lilne~vbrown. 

 Nitric acid alone, blue to violel'«^brown'w<-\ellow. 



„ „ fuming, violet to iudigo. 

 Acids generally, yellow. 



Frohde's solution, yellow-wvjellowish-green ; in twenty-four hours, 

 yellow. 

 (h) COLCHICEINE A., C.iH.^'Oo. Occurs naturally, and prepared from 

 preceding alkaloid by lonij boiling with acids. Ciystallizes in needles ; 

 the hydrate melts at 139"- 142° in open tube, or 15(j'-lo2' in closed tube, 

 and the anhydrous alkaloid at lijl' 172' (Zeisl) ; laevo-rotatory, ueutral 

 reaction. Properties feebly acid and basic. 



SoluhilityasColchicine,except that it isdifficultlysoluble in cold water. 

 Kenioved from acid solutions by benzene. 

 Reactions : 



Alk.lme hydrates | dissolve, metallic salts pp. 

 Ammonia ) '^'^ 



[Xo pp. lead acetate, neutral or basic] 

 Ferric chloride, green coloration or pp. 

 Gold chloride, pp. 

 Phospho-molybdic acid, pp. 

 Colour tests similar to those of Colchicine. 



§ 74 COLOCYNTHIS citrullus (Cucumis) ; Ciicurlilacro'. 

 (a) COLOCYNTHIN G., C^6H840„;,. Usually amorphous, but capable of 

 crystallization; neutral, bitter, purgative. Yields sugar and Colocynthein 

 on treatment with acids. Not found in body after death. 



Soluble in S parts water, in alcohol, amyl alcohol, and benzene (not in 

 latter, according to Henke) ; with difficulty in ether and chloroform, and 

 not in petroleum ether, or carbon bisulphide. 



Removed from a(«/ solutions by amyl alcohol, chloroform, and benzene. 

 Reactions: Ammonia, dissolves. 



[Xo p]i. lead acetate, neutral or basic. Dragendorff states that pp. is 



obtained by latter.] 

 Tannic acid, ]ip. 

 Fehling's solution reduced. 



