80 ELECTROLYSIS AND ELECTROS YNTHESIS 



Strychnine, 1 C 31 H aa N a O a . The neutral sulphate 

 suffers but little change. The solution becomes 

 slightly colored, hydrogen and oxygen are given off, 

 and crystals of strychnine collect on the cathode. 



The acid sulphate behaves in a like manner, except 

 that in its case the formation of carbon dioxide and 

 carbon monoxide as well as oxygen and nitrogen 

 shows that a part of the substance undergoes complete 

 decomposition. In strongly acid solutions the split- 

 ting off of nitrogen does not occur. 



Brucine, 1 C 83 H 26 N a O 4 . A solution of the neutral 

 sulphate turns red and the sulphate is decomposed. 

 Hydrogen is evolved at the negative pole, but the 

 brucine completely absorbs the oxygen at the positive 

 pole. The acid salt is very energetically decomposed, 

 becoming first red and then brown. At the anode 

 carbonic-acid gas, carbon monoxide, oxygen, and ni- 

 trogen escape. 



Besides the gases mentioned, the above alkaloids 

 break up into other products, principally complicated 

 compounds containing nitrogen. 



8. Camphor and Glucosides. 



Terpentine hydrochloride. This compound on elec- 

 trolysis in the melted condition or in an alcoholic 

 acetic-acid solution gave camphor, C 10 H 16 O (Richard- 

 son a ). 



1 Bull. soc. chim., 12, 400. 

 J English patent, 3555. 



