292 New Vegetalle Alkalies, 



Delpkine. 



This alkali is obtained from the seeds of staves-acre {Delphi- 

 vum staphysagria). The seeds, deprived of their husks and 

 rinds, are boiled in a small quantity of distilled water, then 

 pressed in a doth, and the decoction filtered, and then boiled 

 for a few minutes with pure magnesia; it must then be re-filtered, 

 and the residuum left on the filter : when well washed it is boiled 

 with highly rectified alcohol, which dissolves the alkali, and, by 

 evaporation, it is obtained as a white pulverulent substance pre- 

 senting a few crystalline points. 



It may also be obtained by making sulphuric acid to act on 

 the seeds, unshelled, but well bruised ; precipitating the solution 

 by subcarbonate of potash ; and acting on the precipitate by al- 

 cohol ; but when obtained in this way it is very impure. 



Pure delphine is crystalline while wet ; but being dried by ex- 

 posure to the air rapidly becomes opaque. It has a bitter acrid 

 taste, melts when heated, and becomes hard and brittle, likeresin, 

 on cooling : when more highly heated, it blackens and is decom- 

 posed. It dissolves in small quantity in water, but very readily 

 in alcohol : the latter solution renders syrup of violets green, and 

 restores the blue tint of litmus reddened by an acid. With the 

 acids it forms neutral salts, which are very soluble. The alkalies 

 precipitate the delphine in a white gelatinous state, like alumine. 



Sulphate of Delphine, when evaporated in the air, does not 

 crystallize, but becomes a transparent mass, like gum. It has a 

 bitter acrid taste, and dissolves in alcohol and in water. It is 

 decomposed in the Voltaic current^ parting with its alkali at the 

 negative pole. 



titrate of Delphine, evaporated to dryness, becomes a yellow 

 crystalline mass ; treated with excess of acid it is converted into 

 a yellow matter, little soluble in water, but soluble in boiling al- 

 cohol. This solution is bitter, not precipitable by potash, am- 

 monia, or lime-water ; and, though not alkaline, appears not to 

 contain any nitric acid. Further quantities of acid do not destroy 

 it, nor does it form oxalic acid. It does not, like strychnine and 

 morphium, take a red colour with nitric acid. 



Acetate of Delphine is not crystallizable, but forms a trans- 

 parent hard mass, of a bitter and acrid taste, and is readih' de- 

 composed by cold sulphuric acid. 



The oxalate forms small white plates^ similar in taste to the 

 above salts. 



Calcined with oxide of copper, delphine gives no other ga< 

 but carbonic acid. 



Delphine is, in the seeds of staves-acre, found combined with 

 malic acid, and the following principles : a brown coloured bit- 

 ter 



