100 



niCTIONAliV OF TlIK ACTIVE rRINCIlM.ES OT PLANTS. 



(b) URECHITOXIN G., (.'ii.HooOs; possibly a derivative of (a). Less 

 readily crystallizable than latter. Acids give sugar and Urechitoxetin. 



Soluble in cliloroform, amyl alcohol, ether, benzene (less readily in last 

 two than is the case with («), also in petroleum ether ; with difficulty in 

 water, and not in dilute alcohol. 



Removed from alkaline solutions by petroleum ether, contrary to the 

 behaviour of most similar substances. 



Precipitated by basic lead acetate. 



Concentrateit sulphuric acid, as (a). 



j ■_'.!;;. USTILAGO Maydis ('Smut' of Indian corn). Finiiji. Investi- 

 gators : Uademacher and Fischer. 



USTILAGINE A. Bitter : physiological action resembles that of Ergot. 

 Soluble in water, alcohol, and ether. 

 Reactions : 



Ferric chloride, dark yellow coloration. 



Precipated by merciiric-polassic iodide. 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, brown changing to intense green. 

 § 224. VALLARIA (Hydrocotyle Asiatica) ; Umbellifera:. Investi- 

 gaior; Lepiue, Journ. Pharm. [:lj, 26, 47. 



VELLARIN B. ; yellow, oily, neutral, bitter; strong odour ; thickens and 

 darkens on exposure. 



Soluble iu alcohol, ether, volatile and fatty oils ; emulsion with water. 

 Reactions : 



Alkaline hydrates, insoluble. 

 Ammonia, soluble (acids precipitate). 



§ 22.".. VARIOLARIA dealbata ; Lichcnesi. Substance (n). Investi- 

 gator : Robiquet, Ann. Chcni. P/ii/n., 42, 2.%. V. amara, substance (i), 

 Alms, Ann. 67" w. Phann., 1, (U fVogel, N. Jahrb. Plwrm., 8, 201. 



(o) VARIOLARIN B.; crystallizes in needles, subliming with some decom- 

 position. 



Soluble in alcohol and ether, not in water. 



No coloration with alkalies [see (?')]• 

 „ „ „ concentrated sulphuric or other acids. 



(6) PICROLICHENIN B., Cj-jHooO,; (Vogel and Wutb). Transparent rhom- 

 bohedric crystals; M.P. 111° ; not volatile without decomposition ; acid 

 to litmus ; bitter, odourless. Sp. gr. I'lTO. 



Soluble i>i alcohol, ether, carbon bisulphide, volatile and fatty oils, hot 

 glacial acetic acid ; difficultly in hot water and not in cold. 



Reactions : 



Alkaline hydrates dissolve with gradual red coloration : acids precipi- 

 tate fiom the solution a hiHfrle.^s substance. 



Ammonia dissolves, solution turning gradually red. 



Chlorine water, yellow coloration. 



No colour with concentrated sulphuric acid. 



§ 22fi. VERATRUM group ; Melnnthnrpn (Colihirarfre). V. album 

 (White Hellebore), alkaloid (6) principally ; also (//), (./), (/), (m), small 

 quantitv (/.), trace (li), (i). V. viride ((Ireen Hellebore), (//), ( /|, («), (</),• 

 Sabadilla seeds from Asagrea officinalis, Lindl. (Sabadilla officinalis, 

 Brandt ; Veratrum officinale, Schecht), («), (A). ('), ('/). [For Black Helle- 

 bore see Helleborus, linnimrulareir,'] Investigators numerous ; mention 

 should be made of Wright and Lulf who have recently done so much 

 towards removing the obscurity surrounding these alkaloids. 



(a) VERATRINE A. (Merck's Veratrine ; Wright and Luff's Cevadine : 

 not Couerbe's Veratrine), CuH|.,XO,i (W. and L.). Needles or compact 

 crystals from alcohol (varni-sh from ether); M.P. 2(15' (W. and L.) ; 

 alkaline reaction, burning taste ; no odour, but produces violent sneezing ; 

 dilates pupil ; poisonous ; solutions fluorescent ; without action on polar- 

 ized light. On saponification, methyl crotoni ; acid, C,HjCH,'COOH, and 

 a base Cevine, C.^HjiXO^, are obtained. Salts mostly amorphous (picrate, 

 gold, and |jlatinum double salts have been obtained crystallized — E. Merck). 



Soluble in alcohol, ether, chlorufoim, amyl alcoh'jl, benzene ; with 

 difficulty in petroleum ether, not in cold water, 1 in l,l)Oil boiling 

 (Pelletier and (Javentou). 



Removed from arid solution by chloroform, from alkaline solution also 

 by benzene, and in traces bj' petroleum ether. 



Precipitants : 



Alkaline hvdrates 7 ■ •. ■• i i ^ • ii, 1 1 t^ 



bonates I P'"^'^'P''^tion not complete in the cold, Uupuy. 



„ bicarbonates, if no free carbonic acid. 



Ammonia, somewhat soluble in excess. 



Tannic acid, gradually (cloud at 1 in 5,000) ; pp. difficultly .=oluble 

 in dilute hydrochloric .acid. 



Picric acid, amorphous pp. 1 in 1,II00 (a crystalline picrate is obtain- 

 able however). 



Ferric chloride, pp. in hydrochloric acid solution. 



[Platinum chloride, not in very dilute solution.] 



Gold chloride (the double salt melts at lf*2'). 



