THE VEGETABLE BASES 



157 



H2C CH CH2 



N CH 3 CHOOC CH 



CH 2 OH 



Cocaine, Ci7H2iNO4, is found in coca leaves. It is a white 

 crystalline sob'd, which is largely used as a local anaesthetic for 

 minor surgical operations. Its structural formula is 



H 2 C CH HC OOC CH 3 



H 2 C- 



N CH 3 HC OOC-C 6 H 5 

 -CH CH 2 



It is, therefore, a di-ester of acetic and benzoic acids with tropane. 

 Cinchonine, CigH 22 N 2 O, and quinine, C 2 oH 2 4N 2 2 , are alka- 

 loids found in cinchona bark. They are white crystalline solids, 

 which are extensively used in medicine. They have been shown 

 to contain a quinoline group combined with modified piperidine 

 groups, as represented in the following formulas: 



H 

 C 



/\ 



H 2 C HCH CH CH=CH 2 

 CHOH HC HCH CH 2 



N 



Cinchonine 



H 



H 2 C CH CH 

 CHOH HC CH 2 



v 



N 



Quinine , 



Strychnine, C 2 iH 22 N 2 O 2 , brucine, C 2 iH 20 (OCH3)N 2 O 2 , and 

 curarine are three alkaloids which are present in the seeds of several 



