NICOTINE. 

 Nicotine- cxPyridyl-b-tetrahydro-n-methyl pyrrol (?) 



C|oH|4N2 = ^N^ 



CH^ CH 



I NX CH 3 



' X CH 2 



, 



CH 2 CH 



boiling at 247 , with Specific gravity 1.011(15), and Laevocrotatory occurs 

 in the leaves of the tobacco plant, Nicotiania Tabacum, in quantities varying 

 from 0.6 to 8 per cent, depending upon the varieties. As a rule, the better 

 qualities of tobacco contain less nicotine than the poorer sorts. 



HISTORY. 



Posselt and Remian "discovered nicotine (1828). Since 1991 Blau, but 

 more especiallo Pinner, has studied its transposition reactions, the constitu- 

 tional formula proposed by Pinner harmonizes with its deportment and has 

 more receetly been forfeited by the experiments of Ame Pictet and Cropioux 

 (1895), which doubtless led to the synthesis of nicotine by Pictet (C. R. 1903, 

 137, 810) and has been shown to be pyridyl-N-methyl-pyrrohdine. The 

 method of synthesis is as follows:- Nicotine acid is transformed first into i s 

 ethylester, and then into the amide; this bromine and alkali (Hoffman's re- 

 action) gives amino-pyridine and when the salt of this base with mucic acid 

 is distilled, N-pyridyl-pyrrole. 



CH : CH 

 N ' 



^CH : CH2 



is formed. When the vapour of this compound is passed through a heated 

 tube, it is transformed into the isomeric a-pyridyl-pyrrole, 



CH . CH 

 11 11 



C CH 



V 



