71 



and glucose -when boiled with dilute mineral acids. Dulcamarin 

 foi-ms a slightly yellowish powder, permanent, without odour, of 

 at first very bitter, afterwards lasting sweet taste. It melts by heat 

 and decomposes at 205°. It dissolves in 30 parts cold and 25 

 parts hot water, in 8^ parts cold and 5 parts hot alcohol; also in 

 acetic ether. The solutions have a more or less I'ed-brown colour 

 and are neutral. The aqueous solution, on shaking, gives a dense 

 froth. It is insoluble iii ether, chloroform, benzol, sulphide of carbon.] 



Dulcit=Ci2 Hi4 Oi2. In a sweet product of unknown origin 

 from Madagascar, dissolves in boiling water and crystallises on 

 cooling. Also in Melampyrum nemorosum and probably in its 

 congeners and named at first melamjiyrit. To obtain it from the 

 last-named plant, the decoction is precipitated with acetate of lead, 

 the filtered liquid boiled with lead oxyd, filtered and treated with 

 sulphuret of hydrogen. Remove the sulphide of lead and evapo- 

 rate to a thin syrup-consistence, allow to recrystallise in the cold 

 and purify the crystals of D. by repeatedly recrystallising in 

 water. — Coloiirless, very lustrous, klinorhombic prisms, slightly 

 sweet, not rotating; fuses at 182°, behaves otherwise in the heat 

 like mannit, dissolves readily in water, scarcely in boiling alcohol, 

 yields with nitric acid oxalic and mucic acids, behaves toward 

 concentrated and diluted sulphuric acid, alkalies, solution of 

 copper, yeast and salts of lead like mannit. 



Ecbaliii, Elaterid, Hydroelateriu and Prophetin, bitter and 



resinous siibstances of Ecballion Elaterium and Cucumis Pro- 

 phetariim, closely related to Elaterin; their individuality has to 

 be further proved yet. 



Eobolill. One of the three alkaloids (Ecbolin, Ergotin and 

 Trimethylamin) of the ergot (the mycelium of Cordyceps pur- 

 purea) of Secale cei'eale. Is obtained, when the aqueous extract 

 is precipitated with acetate of lead, the excess of lead removed 

 from the filtered liqiiid by sulphuret of hydrogen, the liquid con- 

 centrated and chloride of mercury is added gradually until it 

 ceases to produce a deposit. The latter is washed, decomposed 

 with sulphuret of hydrogen, the filtered liqiiid (containing hydro- 

 chloride of Ecbolin), after driving ofi" the sulj^huret of hydrogen, 

 mixed with phosphate of silver and, after filtering, with hydrate 

 of lime, any excess of lime removed by carbonic acid, and the 

 filtered liquid evapoi-ated with a gentle heat.— Brownish, amor- 

 phous mass, slightly bitter, of alkaline reaction, dissolves in 

 water and alcohol, little in wood spirit, not in ether and chloro- 

 form; neutralises the acids completely and forms amorphous, 

 mostly deliquescent salts. Is precipitable by phospho-molybdic 

 acid, the clilorides of mercury, of platinum and of gold, by tannic 

 acid, cyanide of potassium, bi-iodide of potassium, chlorine-water 

 and ammonia, bromine-water. 



