DICTKlXAIlV OF THE ACTIVE PRINCIPI.E.S Ol' PLANTS. 



io:j 



non-stermitatory ; non- 



four-sided mieniscopic plates ; JI.P. 2lii 

 poisonous ; bitter. 



Soluble scarcely in alcohol, chloroform, methyl alcohol, or acetone, 

 and not ui ether, benzene, or peti'oleuui ether. 



Precipitants : 



Ammonia. Phospho-tungstic acid. 



Tannic acid. [Not cadmium-potassic iodide.] 



Picric acid. ' ivlercuno-potassic iodide. 



[Not platiuum chloride.] [Not Millon's reagent.] 



Colour tests ; 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, violet, becoming cherry-red. 

 Hydrochloric acid, light red on warming, an odour of isobutyric 

 acid being perceptible. 

 § 2'27. VERNONIA nigritiana ; Cowpoxitiv — Tiihulijionr (' Batiatior ' or 

 ' Batjentjor ') ; W.Africa. Investigators: Heckel and Schlagdenhau lieu. 

 VERNONIH G. ; amorphous white powder giving a resinous substance, 

 CjHii.O;,, and sugar on hydrolysis. Cardiac poison „\jth power of 

 Digitalin. 



Soluble in alcohol, slightly in ether and chloroform. 

 (Jouceutrated sulphuric acid, brown, becoming purple (lasting for 

 several hours). 



§ -J'-'H. VIBURNUM prunifolium. 

 VIBURNIN 13. (possibly G.) ; brown, resinous, bitter. 

 Soluble in alcohol. 



§ -2"J. VICIA sativa (Tares) ; Lef/uiniiiosn' — Pajiliiimacea: The seeds. 

 Investigators: Kitthausen, Berk-lite il. <-h. (?«,?., 1870 ; E. Schultze, and 

 others. In addition to («), (*), and (<■) the following have been found 

 by E. Schultze: Aspauagine ; Veunine, C'i«H.,„N803 + 3fI._,0, which 

 gives Guanine with boiling hydrochloric acid ; Betaine (U-()06 percent.) ; 

 Oholi.ne (U-OOlf) per cent.) ; and Ajiygdalin (see Prunus). 



(«) VICINE A., CaHjiNiA, ? (Kitthausen). Crystallizes in needles, 

 loses water on heating, then melts at 180°. Forms crystalline sulphate 

 and hydrochloride. 



Soluble in 108 parts water at 22' C. ; insoluble in absolute alcohol, 

 but dissolves in hot commercial alcohol. 

 Reactions : 



Alkaline hydrates 



Barium hydrate )■ dissolve. 



Calcium hydrate 



Ammonia hydrate dissolves slowly ; Vicine becomes bluish-gray in 



an ammoniacal atmosphere, or purple in dry ammonia gas. 

 Concentrated nitric acid causes it to swell up ; soluble after evapora- 

 tion, the residue from which becomes violet around the edges. 

 (i) CONVICINE A., C,„H„N30;-f H,,0. 

 Soluble with ditticulty in water or alcohol. 

 Precipitated completely by mercuric nitrate. 



{<■) DIVICINE A., C„H-,„N.„,Oi,; ? from (a) by boiling with 'JO percent, 

 sulphuric acid. 



§ 2'M). VISCUM album (Phoradendron ; Mistletoe), Loranthamr ; 

 Atractylis gummifera, Compositce ; Gentiana lutea, Geiilianacecv ; Lychnis 

 viscosa, C'ar!/o/j/ii/llwc<r ; Robinia viscosa, Leguiiiinnsfp ,- Saxifraga tridac- 

 tylites, Saxifriii/uceo: 



VISCIN ; C.„U,fis (Rheinsch, N. Jahrb. Pharm., 14, 12;») ; thick viscid 

 substance ; on heating to 100° becomes more fluid ; acid reaction, nearly 

 tasteless ; sp. gr. I'O. 



Soluble in ether. 



§ 2:11. VITEX agnus castus {Verhenareiv). 



CASTINE A. ; crystalline. 



Soluble in alcohol and ether, not in water. Hydrochloride crystalliue. 



§ 232. XANTHIUM strumaria ; Componhr. The seeds (A. Zander 

 Pharm. Z. Rii>^sl., 18«1). 



XANTHOSTRUMARIN G. ; poisonous ; succinic odour on warming. 

 Soluble in alcohol and ether. 



Precipitants : 



[Alkaline hydrates, dissolve dark yellow.] 



Neutral lead acetate, yellow pp. 



[Not tannic acid.] 



Ferric chloride, dark green pp. 



Silver nitrate, slight i-eduction on warming ; at once with ammonia. 



Cupric acetate, greeni.sh-blue pp. 



Fehling's solution, reduced after hydrolysis of the glucoside. 



Stannous chloride, pp. 



[Not tartar emetic] 



§ 233. XANTHOXYLON Senegalense, D.C. (Artar root ; variety of 

 Prickly Ash) ; Xanllio.ri/lacece. Substance (a) 0-4 per cent, of the root, 



