1026 MINNESOTA BOTANICAL STUDIES. 



Wiegand 5 used a similar method for the extraction of the 

 different alkaloids, but used a different method of separat- 

 ing them. He treated the whole of the crystalline mass with 

 very dilute acetic acid, purified by animal charcoal and separ- 

 ated by dilute sulphuric acid and ammonia. 



Merck, in an examination of the base, described and ana- 

 lyzed by Pelletier, Couerbe and Dumas, found that when the 

 amorphous substance was dissolved in exceedingly dilute alcohol 

 and allowed to evaporate spontaneously, a fine white efflores- 

 cent crystalline mass was obtained which was insoluble in wa- 

 ter. Analyses gave numbers for the formula 



The sulphate, the chloride and the gold double salt were pre- 

 pared and analyzed, analyses corresponding well with the 

 above formula. 



Weigelin, 7 in an examination of Veratrum album, isolated 

 three alkaloids, veratrine, sabadillei'ne, to which he gave the 



formula 



C41 H 66 No O13, 



and sabatrine of the formula 



C5? Hg6 N2 O17. 



The method of extraction was similar to that employed by 

 Couerbe. The pounded seed was boiled with very dilute sul- 

 phuric acid and the extract treated with 80 per cent alcohol to 

 remove the resinous matter. The alcohol was removed by 

 evaporation and the boiling solution treated with ammonia. A 

 resinous precipitate was formed which contained the veratrine. 

 The latter was purified by dissolving in ether, evaporating, 

 redissolving in alcohol and precipitating with water. The 

 ammoniacal filtrate was agitated with amyl alcohol and allowed 

 to evaporate spontaneously. The residue was then redissolved 

 in common alcohol purified by animal charcoal. Finally, the 

 concentrated solution of the veratrine was precipitated by am- 

 monia. This residue was then extracted with ether. That 

 which remained, upon evaporating the ether extract, was a 

 bright red substance which was called sabatrine. An analysis 

 gave numbers for the formula 



C57 Hg6 No O17. 

 The sabadille'ine was insoluble in ether and was repurified by 

 reprecipitating from hot water. 



(5) Jahrs. f . prak. Pharni. 1841: 330. 



(6) Ann. d. Chem. and Pharm. 9*: 200. 



(7) Chem. Centralbl. 1873:229. 



