Frankforter : the alkaloids of veratrum. 1031 



The following gives the number of grams per kilogram of 

 roots : 



Alkaloid. Veratrum album Veratrum viride. 



Jervine, 1.3 gr. 0.2_ 



Pseudojervine, 0.4 0.15 



Rubijervine, 0.25 0.2 



Veratralbine, 2. 2 trace 



Veratrine, 0.05 trace 



Cevadine -43 



Bossetti 17 , in a discussion of veratrine, found that it existed 

 in two isomeric forms — a crystalline and anon-crystalline. The 

 crystalline he showed to be identical with cevadine, while the 

 soluble form was regarded as veratridine. By treating these 

 two forms with alcoholic barium hydroxide, the crystallized 

 form broke down into angelic acid and cevidine, 



C 32 H 49 NOo + 2H 2 O = C 5 H 5 2 + C 2? H 45 N0 9 

 while the amorphous broke down into veratric acid and vera- 

 troi'ne, 



2 C 32 H 49 N0 9 + 2H 2 = C 9 H 10 O 4 -*- C55 H 92 N 2 16 . 

 Ahrens 18 , in an examination of cevadine or crystallized vera- 

 trine, obtained both cevadic or tiglic acid and angelic acid by 

 treating the alkaloid with alkalies. With alcoholic potassium 

 hydroxide tiglic acid was formed, but with alcoholic barium 

 hydroxide angelic acid was liberated. Tiglic acid was also ob- 

 tained by treating with concentrated hydrochloric acid. Both 

 cevine and cevidine were examined as well as the isomeric 

 forms 19 of the base itself. 



Two bromine compounds were prepared. The tetra- com- 

 pound was made by treating with excess of bromine water. 

 Analysis gave numbers for the formula 



Ca 2 H 49 NOoBr 4 , 



while the second, the dibromide, was obtained by treating the 

 tetrabromide with very dilute potassium hydroxide. Analysis 

 gave the formula 



C 32 H 49 N0 9 Br 2 . 



Various oxidizing reagents were tried upon the base without 

 satisfactory results. Acetaldehyde and carbon monoxide were 

 obtained with chromic acid and acetic acid with potassium per- 

 manganate. 



(17) Arch. Pbarm. 1883: 82. 



(18) Ber. 23: 2 700. 



(19) Ann. 185:821, 



