124 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION B. 



Bancroft (Proc. Royal Soc, N.S.W., Vol. xx., 1886, p. 69) records 

 that the bark of Daphnandra repandula, F. von M., a small 

 Moniiniaceoiis shrub which grows in the Johnstone River district of 

 North Queensland, possesses a bitter taste, and is decidely toxic. 

 From experiments with tlie alcoholic extract on cats, guinea-pigs, 

 frogs, and grasshoppers. Dr. Bancroft concludes that — 



1. The poison paralyses the motor nervous system; 



2. That it does not affect the sensory nerves ; 



3. That it is not a muscle -poison. 



He finds that the same property exists in two other species of 

 Daplinandra, D. muciantha and D. aromatica. 



It, therefore, seemed desirable to investigate the chemistiy of the 

 compounds contained in the pukatea, and to isolate sutficient quantity 

 to enable physiological experiments to be made. Dr. Malcobii, Professor 

 of Physiology at Otago University, has kindly undertaken to do this. 

 Accordingly, a small supply of the alkaloid melting at 200° was 

 isolated and analysed. Analyses proved it to be a new alkaloid with 

 a composition corresponding to the formula Cx^H^yNOs, for which the 

 name " pukateine" is proposed. 



Experimental. 



Fresh bark, weighing 15 lb., from young and mature trees in 

 the vicinity of Wellington, was obtained on 20t}i April, broken into 

 small pieces, and stee])ed for twenty-fom- hours in 90 per cent, alcohol 

 acidified with acetic acid. The alcohol was distilled off and the residue 

 dissolved in water and filtered. The alkaloids were precipitated by 

 the addition of sodium bicarbonate. The precipitate was dissolved in 

 ether, the ether distilled off, and the residue dissolved in alcohol, 

 which, upon spontaneous evaporation, deposited ciystals. In this way 

 about 8 grams of impure crystals were obtained, wliich on reciystallis- 

 ing. from absolute alcohol were white, and melted sharply at 200° 

 (uncorrected). A pieparation was recrystallised from the solution of 

 the acetate in water by the addition of sodium bicarbonate. 



The yield of alkaloid was smaller than was anticipated, judging 

 from the previous experience of the bark extracted in the spring. It 

 was found that if the bark was allowed to stand for some months in a 

 dry room little or no alkaloid could be obtained by the above method. 

 Pukateine is a white, crystalline alkaloid, melting at 200° 0. (un- 

 corrected), insoluble in water, sparingly soluble in light petroleum 

 and absolute alcohol, more soluble in hot alcohol. The freshly pre- 

 cipitated base is very soluble in ether and in chloroform. Pukateine is 

 piecipitated fi'oni its solution in slight excess of acetic acid by iodine 

 in potassic iodide, picric acid, gold chloride, |)latinum chloride, 

 bromine water, ammonia in slight excess, sodium bicarbonate, Mayer's 

 reagent, disodichydric phosphate, and phospliomolybdic acid. 



The following analyses were made: — 



B. Preparation. — Reciystallised from dilute alcohol dried at 

 , 110 C. Melting point, 20"0° C— 



00741 gram, gave 0'1964 grams. COg and 00411 grams. H2O. 

 72'27% carbon " 6-16% hydrogen. 



