156 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



Whilst engaged in analysing the seed of this vegetable 

 (Delphinium Staphysagria of Linnaeus,) we obtained a white 

 crystalline substance, of an extremely acrimonious taste, be- 

 coming afterwards bitter. This substance possesses alkaline 

 properties ; it renders syrup of violets green ; it restores the blue 

 colour of litmus, reddened by acid ; it acts with acids like mor- 

 phia, strychnine, and picrotoxine, with which it ought to be 

 classed. The principal characters we have ascertained belong- 

 ing to this substance are the following : It is a fine white pow- 

 der, inodorous, and, when viewed in the sun-light, having a 

 bright appearance. Thrown on burning coals, it fuses and burns 

 with a white thick smoke of a particular odour, and leaves no 

 residuum. It is slightly soluble in water, but alcohol and sul- 

 phuric ether dissolve it with facility. 



It forms very soluble salts with sulphuric, nitric, hydro-chloric, 

 and acetic acids ; their taste is bitter and acrid. Potash, soda, 

 and ammonia, precipitate it in flocculi, which, collected in a filter, 

 appear like gelatinous alumine. 



According to our experiments, this alkaline substance exists 

 in the seeds of the stavesacre, combined with the malic acid. 

 To this combination is owing the acrid taste of the seeds of this 

 ranunculus, and which exists only in the cotyledons. 



The process we followed ijx extracting this substance is the 

 same with that proposed by M. Robiquet for morphium. We 

 boiled a portion of the cotyledons that had been treated with 

 ether, in a little distilled water ; the filtered fluid was mixed 

 with a little pure calcined magnesia, boiled for a short time,, and 

 filtered ; the residuum, washed carefully, was subjected to the 

 action of boiling alcohol of 40° (sp. gr. 817.) This alcohol eva- 

 porated spontaneously, left the new substance in the capsule 

 with the characters we have already described. We also suc- 

 ceeded by two other means in obtaining it of great purity. 



If, as we believe, this alkaline body differs from those 

 before named, we propose to call it Delpliine, a name which will 

 call to mind, as with strychnine, the name of the genus to 

 which the plant belongs from which it is extracted. 



We will shortly make known, in a more detailed paper, the 



