ALKALOIDS OF PUKATEA BARK. 



127 



epheuieral nature of the one precludes confusion with the other. Con- 

 centrated nitric acid dissolves pukateine with the formation of a dark 

 red colour closely resembling that given by morphine. 



Action of Concentrated Sulphuric Acid. 

 Pukateine dissolves slowly when macerated wath concentrated 

 sulphuric acid in the cold, and on diluting the syrupy solution with 

 water an intensely insoluble amorphous white compound is fonned, 

 which up till the present has I^affled all attempts to dissolve or 

 ■ciystallise it. It contains nitrogen. With gentle heating concen- 

 trated sulphuric acid will produce a dull violet colour with pukateine. 



Action of Hydrocldoric Acid in a Sealed Tube. 



A gram, of the base was heated in a sealed tube for three hours 

 to 110° C. witli 5 cc. of concentrated hydrochloric acid. On opening 

 the tube there was no pressure. The product had a glassy appearance, 

 and its powder w^as pure white. It was insoluble in alcohol, ether, 

 glacial acetic acid, aniline, pyridine, acetone, or ammonia. On wash- 

 ing with hydrochloric acid no pukateine could be recovered. The sub- 

 stance does not melt below^ 240 degrees C. It is probably the same 

 substance as that formed by concentrated sulphuric acid, and contains 

 nitrogen. 



A gram of the base heated in a sealed tube with 10 cc. of water 

 for two hours remained unchanged. 



Pukateine is soluble in caustic soda solutions, and on concen- 

 trating the solution by boiling, the pure base crystallises out in 

 characteristic prisms, melting at 200 degrees C. If a solution of 

 pukateine in caustic soda be allowed to stand in an open test tube 

 for a few hours the solution becomes gi*eenish, and upon acidifying 

 with hydrochloric acid the colouring matter may be extracted by 

 ether, forming a pui-ple solution. The experiment was repeated on 

 the purest pukateine recrystallised from soda solution. The amount 

 of colouring matter foiTned is too small to examine. 



If one drop of a veiy dilute solution of potassium nitrite be 

 added to a solution of pukateine in slight excess of sulphuric acid a 

 dark red-brown or greenish solution is developetl. The base remains 

 unchanged in dilute sulphuric acid solutions. 



It is perhaps too soon to say anything of the possible relationship 

 of pukateine to the other alkaloids. It may be pointed out, however, 

 that in empirical fomiula it is only two hydrogens less than morphine 

 (Ci^HigNO;^). while a derivative, Morphothebain* (M.P., 190-1°), 



Cj jH I -XO^p^fZ:, (Howard), has the same empirical foiTnuIa. 

 OH 



Piperine (C'l-HigNOs) is obtained from a species of a family 

 (Piperacepe) placed very near to Monimiaceae in the natural system of 

 classification. 



A New Alkaloid. 



Chloroform extracts from the neutralized alcoholic extract of the 

 bark, a rubbeiy mass, which, on treatment with dilute sulphuric acid 

 yields crystals of another alkaloid of which but a small quantity has 



OFT 



* Morphothebain is regarded by Freund (Berichte 32, 168) as Ci7Hi5NO<qqxt 



