DICTIONAKY OF THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLES OF PLANTS. 



[Silver nitrate, no change.] I *Mercurous nitrate, pp. 



[Mercuric chloride, no pp.] | Bromine water, pp. 



Special colour tests : Potassic Cyanide to alcoholic extract from 

 aloin (.'. mgm.) evaporated with nitric acid — intense rose colour. 



*Trace of copper sulphate to a solution previously diluted till colour- 

 less — intense yellow ; sodium chloride or potassium bromide then added 

 and some alcohol — intense red (with all aloes). 



By these tests upon the residue from amyl alcohol (see foot-note), it 

 is possible to detect very small quantities in mixtures, e.f/., beer. Similar 

 reactions are not given with Cortex Frangula, Folia Senna;, Radix Rhei, 

 BaccsB Spina;. 



N.B. — The amyl alcohol residue should have characteristic aloe taste. 



/"are regarded by Kranzfeld as differing only from Aloin in 

 B^ff6^Z.0//V degree of hydration. Tilden gives to Barbaloin and 

 NATALOIN ' Socaloin the same formula C„iH,gO.. Groenewold ascribes 



: to the active principle of Barbadoes and Curacao aloes 

 SOCALOIN the formula CjsHicO-, and to Nataloin C.,4H.,bO,„ + H.,0 



Uith M.P. 210°. 



§ 11. ALSTONIA scholaris (Eclihes schnloris ; Dita bark). Apoc;/- 

 naceec ; Philippine Isles. The alkaloids, (h), (c), (d), etc. ; A. constricta, 

 (a), (e), etc. ; A. spectahlis, (b), (c), (d). In A. villosa (Blaberopus) 

 Greshoff has found alkaloids I'l per cent, in the bark and 04 per cent, iu 

 the leaves — no doubt identical with the following, but not further 

 examined. Investigators of first-mentioned varieties : Oberlin and 

 Schlagdenhauffen, 0. Hesse (compare Cinchona group). 



(a) ALSTONINE A., (Chlorogenine ; not the Alstonine of O. and S., see 

 Alstonidine), C.j,H„|,X..04i'iH„0. Amorphous brown (salts also amor- 

 phous) ; M.P. 100'^, or l'J:'i if anhydrous ; alkaline reaction. 



Soluble in alcohol, amyl alcohol, chloroform (with green fluorescence), 

 with difficulty in water, and not removed by petroleum ether from a bi- 

 carbonate solution (compare Porphyrine). 



Precipitants : 



Alkaline hydrates. 

 Ammonia, no pp. if dilute, other- 

 wise a pp. sol. in excess. 



Potassium bichromate, blood-red 



coloration with HCl solution. 

 Acids in excess precipitate salts. 



Concentrated acetic solution, crystals on addition of a few dro])S of 



HCl. 

 Charcoal carries down in part. 



{h\ DITAMINE A., C,bHi,,N03 (Hesse) ; amorphous, somewhat bitter, 

 alkaline ; M.P. 7o° (becoming red at liiO'). Salts mostly amorphous. 

 Soluble in alcohol, chloroform, ether, and benzene. 

 Precipitants : 



Ammonia. 

 Platinum chloride, crystalline 

 pp. 



Gold chloride, pp. dissolves on 



boiling, crys. on cooling. 

 Mercuric chloride, same action. 

 Concentrated acetic solution, no crystals on addition of a few drops 

 of hydrochloric acid (compare Alstonine). 

 Colour tests : 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, red -w reddish-violet on warming (un- 

 certain). 

 Concentrated nitric acid, yellow — dark-green -w orange-red. 

 ((■) ECHITAMINE (Ditaine) A., C,™H„8N,Oj-|-4H,0 (Hesse). Crystallizes 

 in prisms from alcohol. La;vo-rotatory [a]D= - '28-8° ; loses 311.^ at 

 80' 0., 1 molecule at 1.30', and then melts anhydrous at 206° ; powerfully 

 alkaline, bitter. 



Soluble in water, alcohol, ether, chloroform, acetone, with difficulty iu 

 benzene, and insoluble in petroleum ether. 



Reactions : [Ammonia, no pp., but the free alkaloid decomposes am- 

 monium salts.] 

 Fehling's solution reduced after previously treating the alkaloid with 

 boiling dilute acid. 

 The free alkaloid decompoees sodhim chloride, liberating NallO ! 

 Colour tests: Concentrated sulphuric acid, purple. 

 Concentrated nitric acid, purple changing to green. 

 Hydrochloric acid produces an insoluble salt. 

 {d) ECHITENINE A., CoHo^NOj ? Formed from Echitamine by caustic 

 potash. Amorphous brown (salts also amorphous) ; M.P. 120^ ; alkaline, 

 bitter. 



Soluble in alcohol, with difficulty in water ; insoluble in petroleum 

 ether. If freshly precipitated, soluble iu ether and chloroform. 

 Precipitants : 



Alkaline hydrates } pp. if I Platinum chloride. 

 Ammonia ) concentd. | Mercuric chloride, pale yellow. 



Colour tests : Concentrated sulphuric acid, reddish-violet. 

 Concentrated nitric acid, red •^~ jiurple — green ->/>- yellow. 

 (f) PORPHYRINE A. (Oberlin and Schlagdenhauffen's Alstonicine, pre- 

 sumably), C.iH.jr.N.jO, : amorphous (Hesse) or crys. prisms from alcohol 

 (O. and S.) ; M.P. 97" ; alkaline ; bitter ; salts have blue fluorescence. 



