NUX VOMICA, ALKALOIDS OF. 



NUX VOMICA, ALKALOIDS OF. 



fluid into the thoracic or abdominal cavity, when tetanic convulsions 

 :.niii<- Iv pre*nt. MO isa powerful base; it 



prvcii-itates most metallic oxides from their salts, and combines with 

 acid* to form a well-marked series of compounds, many of which have 

 been described by Abel and Nicholson. 



//vrfro4iiorate of strychnine (C^HnN.O., 4 HF. + 4 Aq.) crystallise* 

 in prisms on evaporating a solution of .-trvclmmc in hydrofluoric acid. 

 llylr-rklunilt of strychnin* (C M H,,N,O 4 , HCl-r 3Aq.), crystallise* 

 is neutral to test-paper, and even more soluble in water 

 than tin- Milphate. 



'../ strychnine. A neutral salt containing (2C,,H,,N,O,, 



HI > r 14Aq.)is forim-d on digesting excess of strychnine in dilute 



.'.llises in small rectangular prisms. The acid 



. S.o n .'JHO) is produced when Htrych'.inc 



i* dissolved in excess "of dilute sulphuric acid ; it crystallises in long 

 needles. Sulphate of strychnine and copper is a crystalline salt formed 

 when strychnine is boiled with sulphate of copper. 



:nate / strychnine (C..H .X,O,.l'rO s . HO) falls as a yellow r.re- 

 te when chromate of potash is added to a salt of strychnine. It 

 U soluble in hot water, crystallising out in beautiful orange needles on 

 cooling. A bichromate also exists. 



:ine (C.,H M N,0., HO,NO S ) is obtained by saturating 

 Din* with dilute nitric acid. It crystallises in needles. Heated 

 with concentrated nitric acid it forms nitrate of nitro-stryc/niine. 



The following are the princi|U remaining compounds of strychnine 

 with acids and with metallic salts. 



C 41 H,,N f O 4I HCl,PtCl, 



. C,,H,,N,0 4 ,HCl, AuClj 

 a. C 4 ,H,,N,0,,2HgCl 



Chloroplatinate of Mrychnine . 

 Chluropallatlitc of strychnine 

 Chloraurate of strychnine 



Chloromercurates of strychnine 



Perchlorte of strychnine 

 Ilrdrobromate of strychnine 



n'tatc of strychnine 

 Niliitr of strychnine and Mirer 



Phophntc of strychnine 

 Oxalatn of strychnine 



Fcrrocyar.ati s of strychnine . . 



nydrfrjTocyniitc* of strychnine 



Hydrosnlpbocranate of strychnine . C,,H,, ,N,()i, HSL'yS 

 Tartratei of strychnine 



Chlorine, bromine, and iodine deriratira of strychnine. Chloro- 

 ttrychninf (Cj.H^ClN.OJ U formed by the action of chlorine 



C 4 ,U,,J,0 4 , HCI, 

 f. 2C. 1 U t ,N,0 4 ,8,0,,2nO, 4HgCl 

 . c , B.,M l O t ,HO, 

 , C tt II, 1 N 1 o.,JIBr 



C 4a Il tJ N,0.,HI 



C 41 H,,N S 4 . AgO, NO, 



o. C,,B, t N l O t , SHO, PO 5 -r4 Aq 



f. 2C.,H,,N,0., -HO, 



. 2C.,I1 ! ,X,0 4 , C.O., 2110 



B. C 4l U I1 N t U 4 ,0 < O l ,2HO 



a. 4C,,U,,N,O 4 , 4UCy, 2FeCy+18 Aq. 



0. C 4 ,II,,S,0,, SHCy, 2FeCv + 5 Aq. 



> 3C ,1I 1 ,N 1 O ( , 3UCy, 3FeCy+ia Aq. 



. { ' *? 

 (0. C 4 , 



sryrnne .j^j, o 



solution of hydrochlorate of strychnine ; it combines with acids to 

 form salts, liromostrythnine is produced when bromine 1 is made to act 

 upon hydrochlorate of strychnine. / . <T i'lide of 



strycln- 1 _.,N,O 4 , 1,), obtained on triturating strychnine with 



iixiini', crystallises from alcohol in orange-coloured scales. 



- ' ilirirathts of ttrychnmt. According to M. Stahl- 

 .-liiniilt these compounds are nob in the slightest degree poisonous. 

 They are jiowerfully basic. With iodide of ethyl, strychine gives a 

 crystalline htilrimlatf f ill" . or i'fliilr nf <thi/l<utrycliniiim 



i No,. II I), and this with oxide of silver yields bihydrate 

 i. or rather hylrated oxide of ethylostrychnium 

 i i".)N,O 4 , O, HO. Hydrated oxide of mctkylo-strychnium is 

 best obtained by decomposing the sulphate with baryta water. 



Slryrln-i'- teld if the name given by M. Rousseau to the product of 

 the action of heat upon a mixture of strychnine, chlorate of potash, and 

 sulphuric acid. 



2. Hrurint (C^H^N-p. + 8Aq). Canimarine, Vomicine. Tliis alka- 

 loid was discovered by Pelletier anil Caventou, in the bark of the false 

 angustura, which is the bark of the rirychnos nux vomica, and not, as 

 was supposed when its name was given to it, of the brwcia anlidytcn- 

 Tlii-n alkaloid, like xtrj-clmiiie, is fouml coinl>ine<l with gallic 

 acid in the bark, and with igasuric acid in the fruits of some of the 



nt specie* of strychnos. 



It may be obtained by evaporation and crystallisation of the mother 

 liquor from the precipitation of chromate of strychnine, already 

 described; or, according to The'nard, by dissolving the soluble portion 

 of the nux vomica bark in w..t< r, mixing the solution with a little 

 oxalic acid, and evaporating it to the consistence of a syrup. This is 

 to be treated, at 82* Falir., with anhydrous alcohol, which dissolves 

 verytliin^ tmt the oxalate of linn -iiu-. 'I'liin Halt is then to be Ixiilrd 

 in water with magnesia ; the precipitated brucine U to bo dissolved ill 

 boiling alcohol, from which it crystallises on cooling. 



\\ h.-n a little water is added to the alcoholic solution ,,f bmcine, 

 and the mixture is put to evaporate spontaneously, the brucine crystal- 

 lise* hi colourlens, transparent, oblique four-sided prisms. Ity rapid 

 evaporation, pearly scales or crystals, in the form of cauliflowers, are' 

 obtained. These crystals contain water; they have a utr. 111; l.itt.-r 

 taste, which remains for a long time. When the hydrate is heated 

 rathrr below 212 Kahr., it melts and loses about 16 per cent, of its 

 weight of water ; the fused man is a non-crystallised body resembling 

 wax in appearance. It is flecompoaed by a strong heat. 



Brucine requires 850 parts of cold water and .Inn of boiling water 

 for Holution. It is readily soluble in alcohol, and even in npint f wine 

 of specific gravity 0'88 : th> \..i.iili- oils dissolve a small |':i:- n ! it, 

 but neither the fixed oils nor ether take it up. ( hie of 

 characters of brucine is that the red or yellow col.mr whieh nil i . 

 imparts to it U changed to a fine violet by protochloride of tin. 



The salts of brucine have a bitter taste, and most of them are 

 crystalline ; they are decomposed not only by the alkalies and alkaline 

 earths, but by morphine and strychnine, which precipitate brucine. 



titrate of brivint (C 4 .H M N 1 O.,2HONO,, + 4 Aq.) is obtained by 

 adding nitric acid to brucine. It crystallises in quadrilateral prisms, 

 terminated by dihedral summits. When heated, it becomes first red, 

 then black, and afterwards detonates with disengagement of light. 



Jli/ilrnrltlin-alt of brurine (C 4 .H M N..il K ,lli'U crystallises in quadri- 

 lateral prisms obliquely truncated, which are sometimes as fine as hair. 

 It does not alter by exposure to the air. 



full-hatei of brucine. The neutral sulphate (SC 4e H M N > O l ,8 l O ( < f 8HO, 

 + 14 Aq.) is very soluble in water, and crystallises in long quadrilateral 

 needles. Alcohol dissolves it in email quantity. The mpcnulphate 

 crystallises readily when a little acid is added to the neutral sulphate. 



(Isolate of brucine crystallises in long needles, especially when it 

 contains excess of acid. 



Photphatet of brucine. The neutral salt (2C. B H. !(> N. 1 0,,,3HO, PO.) 

 occurs in prisms ; but the supersalt crystallises in large square tables, 

 which dissolve readily in water, and effloresce by exposure to the air. 

 Acetate of brucine is very soluble, but uncrystallisable. 

 Many other salts of brucine, corresponding to the strychnine salts, 

 have also been obtained. Jiromovrucine (C )0 H 55 BrN !1 !l ) occurs in 

 needles; and the iodobrufines are amorphous powders. The nitro- 

 compound, or cacotheline as it is termed, is the prixluct of the 

 of strong nitric acid upon brucine; nitrate of methyl, oxalic acid. 

 binoxide of nitrogen, and water, being at the same time pn < 

 The composition of cacotheline is (O M &, t (NO.) t N t O la ) ; it is a feeble 

 base. Ethyl- and methyl-brucine . are obtained in the same way as, and 

 have properties similar to, the corresponding strychnine salts. 



3. fgaiurine. According to M. Desnoix, this alkaloid is contained 

 in the mother liquors from the preparation of strychnine and brucine. 

 He gives it the name igasurine from i//<uur, the native name of St. 

 Ignatius' beans [STRYCHNOS Jgnatii, in NAT. HIST. Div.] ; and de*cti!>r- 

 it as a colourless precipitate, becoming crystalline if left in the mother 

 liquor. IgaHurine differs from brucine in being more soluble in 

 boiling water, and in being precipitated by bicarbonate of potash 

 or soda in presence of tartaric acid; it otherwise much resembles 

 brucine. Its physiological action is intermediate between strydminr 

 ami brurinc. M. Schutzenberger has examined several specimens of 

 igasurine, and asserts that by treating with cold water he obtained nine 

 new alkaloids or iiianurin-* from them. Their formula) and relations 

 to strychnine and brucine are as follow : 



C,.H J ,N,0.-r8HO 

 C,.H,.N,0,+6HO 



C,.H t4 N,0.+6HO 

 C, 4 H,,N,O,,-r6HO 



C a .H,.N,0,-r6HO 

 C 4 ,H,,N,0, + Bor SHO 

 C.allj.N.O.j , Mill 



-, 0,, i lilio 



Strychnine 



Brucine .... 



Igasurinc, a (very little soluble) , 



6 (slightly soluble) 

 c (readily soluble) 



g (very little soluble) 

 A (readily soluble) . 



The above bases are said to resemble brucine in their chemical 

 characters, but are more soluble in water and alcohol. M. Sri 

 berger considers them as products of the successive transformations of 

 brucine under the influence of vital force, and suspects the existence 

 of several more. 



Igaturic acid may be prepared from any of the mother liquors 

 resulting from the preparation of the nux vomica alkaloids. Such 

 miliitiniis are saturated with magnesia, boiled, evapoi 

 by acetate of lead, the precipitate decomp mcil l.y Kiil|,hurettol hydro- 

 gen, and the filtered liquor evaporated to .1 o. Igasuric 

 en slowly crystallises out in hard civstilliuc p-ains. very Holuble 

 in w.itT and alcohol, and of an acid styptic taste. The iyaxuratct are 

 mostly soluble in alcohol or water, and crystallise with ditliculty. 



END OF VOLUME V. 



mr.BTRV AMD KVAHU, FRIXTXM, WIIITF.rRUM. 



