Chemical Scie)ice. 189 



are a neutral salt. When the crystals are heated they redden, 

 then blacken, and lastly inflame. If the nitric acid be in great 

 excess, a fine red colour is produced, as with strychnine, and 

 the cause, as with that substance, seems to be a peroxygenation 

 of the alkali, for all those bodies which absorb oxygen, as proto- 

 muriate of tin, sulphuretted hydrogen, sulphureous acid, Sfc, 

 destroy the colour. If the action of the acid be continued, or 

 heat be applied, the colour passes to yellow, and if to the yellow 

 solution proto-muriate of tin be added, an intense violet colour is 

 produced. 



The acetate and oxalate ofbrucine are the only salts that 

 have yet been found with this alkali, and vegetable acids. The 

 acetate is soluble and incrystallizable ; the oxalate, as well as 

 the super-oxalate, very crystallizable. 



The action of brucine on the animal system is analogous to 

 that of strychnine, but, compared with it, its force is not more 

 than as 1 to 12. It induces violent attacks of tetanus ; it acts 

 on the nerves without attacking the brain, or injuring the intel- 

 lectual faculties. It required four grains to kill a rabbit, and a 

 dog having taken three grains suffered severely, but overcame 

 the poison. It is suggested, that the alcoholic extract of the 

 Angustura bark may be used with advantage in place of the 

 extract of the vomica nut. ,, 



It appears that this alkali is combined in the bark with gallic 

 acid ; the bark contains, besides, a fatty matter, gimi, a yellow 

 colouring matter, sugar, in very small quantities, and ligneous 

 fibre. — Annales dc Chimie, xii. p. 1 13. 



14. Delphine. — This vegetable alkali has been discovered by 

 MM. Lassaigne and Feneulle, in the stavesacre, (Belphinium. 

 staphyscujria.) It is obtained thus : The seeds, deprived of 

 their husks and grounds, are to be boiled in a small quantity of 

 distilled water, and then pressed in a cloth ; the decoction is to 

 be filtered, and boiled for a few minutes with pure magnesia ; it 

 must then be re-filtcred, and the residuum left on the filter, when 

 well washed, it is to be boiled with highly'rectified alcohol, whirii 



