ON SOME VEGETABLE ALKALOIDS. 33 
possibility of the latter being the case, as regards one of the atoms of nitrogen in 
an alkaloid containing two, was thrown out as a speculative suggestion some few 
years ago by FRESENIUS. 
In the hope of arriving at some conclusions regarding these points, I proceeded 
to examine the deportment of strychnine with reagents suited to my purpose. 
The decision of the whole question seems to devolve upon the reactions of two 
classes of agents; the amount of basic hydrogen would be learned by the quantity 
of hydrocarbons of alcohol radicals the base is capable of taking up from their 
halogen compounds, while reducing agents should remove oxygen from any oxi- 
dized combination of nitrogen; if it be as NO,, that the second atom of this ele- 
ment exists, sulphuretted hydrogen should, as in other compounds of this class, 
remove the four equivalents of oxygen, and permit two additional atoms of 
hydrogen to enter into the new product. 
The first part of the question is gone into in some detail in the present memoir, 
while, without being in a position to give anything decisive at present with regard 
to the second, I may mention that strychnine undergoes a curious decomposition in 
contact with sulphide of ammonium, which results in the formation of hyposulphite 
of the base itself,—a very beautiful and stable salt,—and the production of another 
substance I am still engaged in studying. The description of the properties and 
composition of these products I must reserve till 1am able to shew the complete 
history of the change, and how far the real constitution of strychnine is deter- 
mined by the experiments ; but I may state that, from what I have as yet 
learned, the decomposition does not appear to be of the nature just spoken of. 
Action of Iodide of Ethyl on Strychnine. 
Hydriodate of Ethylostrychnine.—Strychnine, in a state of fine powder, is 
readily attacked by iodide of ethyl; even when these two substances are boiled 
together in water, a perceptible quantity of iodine is found in the solution, preci- 
pitable by silver salts; the insolubility of the alkaloid, however, no doubt inter- 
feres with the reaction, for the change is much more easily effected when spirit 
of wine is used asa medium. The most successful method I found to be that em- 
ployed before, viz., to operate with alcohol and iodide of ethyl on the powdered 
base in sealed tubes; at the temperature of boiling water the change is complete 
in about twenty minutes. A heavy crystalline powder is formed, differing in ap- 
pearance from strychnine ; but solution is not at any time during the experiment 
complete, no change being perceptible beyond the more definitely crystallized 
nature of the solid contents of the tube, the complete solubility of which in boil- 
ing water announces the completion of the reaction. 
A boiling aqueous solution of the new substance having deposited, upon cool- 
ing, masses of silky white crystals, which proved to consist of an hydriodate, they 
