;t4 



DICTIOXAUY OI- THE ACTIVK I'KINCII'I.r.: 



points (anhydrous), but appears in other forms, f.f/., scales, octahedra, 

 according to the nature of the solvent, etc. Authorities differ as to melt- 

 ing point, Beckurts finds 2(i."i°, but preceding observers have given '221°, 

 28o°, etc. ; lasvo-rotatory, alkaline reaction, intensely bitter (perceptible 

 at 1 in (KK^OOO), extremely poisonous (tetar.ic). 



Solubility, 1 in G.GHT parts cold water, 2,.0()0 boiling ; ]2(> cold alcohol 

 sp. gr. Il-8l'i3 (requiring more of weaker alcohol), 200 amyl alcohol, 5 to 

 7 chloroform, about l,2riO commercial ether, KiO of benzene, 12,riO() petro- 

 leum ether (Wormley), and in oils. 



Strychnine nitrate is soluble in Til) parts cold or 2 of boiling water 

 (Wittstein), the sulphate in 50 parts cold water (Regnault). 



Removed from alkaline solutions by chloroform ; best to shake with the 

 latter at oiire after alkalizing. A. H. Allen (Aiiuli/«l, 6, 141) finds a con- 

 venient menstruum to be a mixture of ether and chloroform in equal 

 measures. 

 Precipitants : 

 Alkaline hydrates 

 „ carbonates 



„ bicarbonates, if without free carbonic acid 

 Ammonia 

 Calcic hydrate 

 [Not lead acetate, neutral or basic] 

 Tannic acid, difficultly sol. in hydrochloric acid. 



Picric acid, yellow amorphous, becoaiing crystalline ; limit 1 in 20,000. 

 [Ferric chloride, light brown if concentrated ; not 1 in 100.] 

 Platinum chloride, yellow amorphous, becoming crystalline ; iusol. HCl. 

 (xold chloride, soluble in hydrochloric acid. 

 Potassium ferrocyanide, nearly colourless prisms, very difficultly 



soluble (brucine salt more soluble). 

 Potassium ferricyanide, greenish-yellow crys. 



„ sulphocyanide, white crys. ( sensitive). 



„ nitroprusside, light browu crys. ; up to 1 in 5,000. 



Silver potassium cyanide, hair-like crystals. 



Potassium bichromate, yellow crystalline pp. which gives a transient 

 violet with sulphuric acid ; the pp. is very difficultly soluble iu cold 

 water (means of separation from Brucine). 

 Chromic acid (5 per cent, solution). 

 Phosjjho-molybdic acid, yellowish-white. 

 „ tungstic acid, 1 in 200,000. 



antimonic acid, white flocks at 1 in 5,000 ; cloud at 1 in 25,0lMI. 



pp. insoluble in 

 excess and 

 becoming 

 crystalline. 



lodo-potassic iodide, kermes coloured pp. : faint cloud at 1 iu .00,000. 

 Bismuth-potassic iodide, orange-red pp. ; limit 1 in 250,000. 

 Cadmium-potassic iodide, flocculent. 

 Zinc-potassic iodidp, white. 



Mercuric-pota.ssic iodide, white — limit 1 in 1511.0(10. 

 Mercuric chloride, pp. soluble in alcohol (the pp. with free strychnine 

 is soluble). Potass, bichromate gives with this pp. a bright 

 yellow. 

 Chldrine water, white pp.; even .-.loth of a milligramme. 

 Colour tests : 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, colourless. 



„ „ with fragment of potassium bichromate 



(avoid excess), violet-blue'»vred->/>.green. Similar colours with other 

 o.xidizers. Compare Geissospermine ; see Pareira. 

 Xitiic acid added to the solution in sulphuric acid after in hours, 



unchanged. 

 Xitric acid, slightly yellow. 

 Concentrated hvdrochloric acid, no effect. 

 Potassium perchlorate, white crystalline pp. 

 Perchloric acid, reddish-brown colomtion. 

 Per-iodic acid, wine-red : red crystals on evaporation. 

 Friihde's solution, colourless. 

 Strvchnine has been found 3 years after death. 

 (i BRUCINE A. (Contramiue), 'C,.,H„8X.0j : crystallizes in four-sided 

 prisms or plates, also as cauliflower-like aggregates, containing 4H..0. 

 M.P. : anhydrous, 170"; hydrated, rather over lod : ItEvo-rotatory, 

 alkaline, bitter. Many oxidizing agents give red coloration. 



Soluble in 850 parts cold or 500 boiling water (the hydrated base in 320 

 and 150 respectively ; crystals only slowly formed from a hot solution after 

 cooling), in 1', parts boiling alcohol, about 2 of chloroform Rettendorfer) 

 (7 parts, Schlimpert), 64 benzene ; also iu amyl alcohol, with difficulty in 

 oils or petroleum ether; not in absolute ether. 



Removed from alkaline solutions by benzene and chloroform. 

 Precipitants : 



Alkaline hydrates, 1 in 1()0 to oOO. 

 ,, carbonates. 



„ bicarbonates, after expulsion of carbouic acid. 

 Lime water. 

 Magnesia. 

 Moipbine, strychnine (the free bases;. 



