75 



aromatic; decomposes by heat without fusing; dissolves only by 

 traces in water and in ether, with red-brown colour in alcohol, 

 also in alkalies, not in diluted acids. 



[El'Ji'Otillill. An alkaloid, found by Touret in ergot. Treat 

 the coarsely pulvei-ised ergot with boiling alcohol of 86°/^, and 

 I'emove the alcohol from the tinctures by distillation on a water- 

 bath. The residue, when cold, separates into three layers, a solid 

 fat, an aqiieous solution and resin. Wash the resin with ether 

 and dissolve the fat in the latter, filter, shake the solution re- 

 peatedly with dilute sulphuric acid (1:15), then the separated acid 

 liquid with excess of potash-ley, finally with chloroform, and 

 evapoi'ate the latter solution under exclusion of air. The aqueous 

 solution, obtained together with the fat, likewise yields E. It is 

 filtered and subjected to distillation on an oil-bath, and in a 

 current of hydrogen. When all the alcohol is expelled, the 

 residue is rendered alkaline by carbonate of potash and distilled 

 again. Impure trimethylamin passes over. The remaining 

 syrupy liquid is acidulated, washed with ether, supersaturated 

 with carbonate of potash, and treated as before with chloroform. 

 — The E. is solid, soluble in ether, alcohol and chloroform, of 

 strongly alkaline reaction, is precipitated by iodide of jjotassio- 

 mercury, biiodide of potassium, phosphomolybdic and tannic acids, 

 the chlorides of gold and platiniim, and by aqueous bromine. 

 Concentrated sulphuric acid colours it first orange, then deep 

 violet-blue. It changes easily at the air, its salts turning 

 first pale, then darker red. Alkalies likewise decompose it, 

 especially when warm, iinder formation of trimethylamin. The 

 rapid spoiling of pulverised ergot seems to be attributable to the 

 decomposition of the Ergotinin.] 



Ericillol = C2o Hiß O2. It is a product of decomposition of 

 ex'icolin, but exists ready-formed in the volatile oils of the Ericacece, 

 mentioned under Ericolin. The volatile oil of Ledum palusti-e, 

 for instance, is a mixture, containing valeric and other volatile 

 acids, amongst which an oil-like acidzr:CiG Hio Og; further, a 

 hydrocarbon isomeric with oil of turpentine, and boiling at 160°; 

 and Ei-icinol. After the oil of Ledum has been repeatedly 

 shaken with concentrated potash-ley and thereby freed from acids, 

 it is washed and desiccated, a mixture of the hydrocarbon with 

 some resin and Ericinol remaining. By distilling the mixed oils 

 and reserving the portion \vliich passes over at 236° to 250°, 

 Ericinol is obtained almost pure. This Ericinol boils at 240° to 

 242°, is blue-green, of disagreeable smell and burning, nauseous, 

 bitter taste. After rectifying it with a little caustic potash, it is 

 partly decolourised, of 0-874 density at 20°, and has the composition 

 rzCoo Hio O2. On boiling with excess of lime-hydrate, a hydro- 

 carbon =iC2o HiG is obtained. 



