Frankforter : the alkaloids of veratrum. 1033 



EXPERIMENTAL PART. 



The veratine on which the following experiments have been 

 made is of a light gray color and appears, when highly 

 magnified, as imperfect granular crystals. It is slightly sol- 

 uble in water, very soluble in methyl, ethyl and amyl alcohols, in 

 ether, acetone, chloroform and carbon disulphide. It appears, 

 upon the evaporation of any of these solutions, as a light brown 

 varnish. On stirring this varnish like mass with water, it 

 changes to a granular semi-crystalline mass. It refused to 

 crystallize fr.om alcohol. The powdered form has a peculiar 

 bitter, rasping taste, producing a certain numbness of the 

 tongue if taken in very small quantities. This peculiarity 

 readily distinguishes it from any of the other alkaloids. It is 

 a violent sternutatory, producing intense irritation of the nasal 

 mucous membrane. It retards the action of the heart even when 

 taken in small quantities. It gives a slightly alkaline reaction, 

 which is intensified when the alkaloid is dissolved in alcohol. 

 It gives with dilute nitric acid a pale yellow solution; with con- 

 centrated nitric acid a brown color and a strong odor of acetic 

 acid. With concentrated sulphuric acid it produces an orange 

 red color, which, on standing for some time, becomes fluores- 

 cent; with a great excess of acid, it becomes intensely red in 

 transmitted light. With concentrated hydrochloric acid, it 

 produces a blood red color immediately which seems to be per- 

 manent. It changes, however, to a dark brown color on heat- 

 ing. If the red solution from the hydrochloric acid is rendered 

 slightly alkaline with ammonia, the color changes to a dirty 

 green even when the alkaloid is present in very small quanti- 

 ties. The melting point after repurifying was 146-148° C. 



In order to determine, whether or not the substance in hand 

 was identical with that described by Merck and Ahrens anal- 

 yses of the free base were made together with the gold double- 

 salt. 



No reference was made by the above named investigators 

 to the water of crystallization. Three determinations were 

 made, the mean of which corresponded for one molecule of 

 water. 



I. .2401 grm. of alkaloid dried at 100°— 102 lost . . . .0.0081 H 2 

 II. .3108 " " 

 III. .5124 " " li " " 



Calculated for 

 C32 H 40 NO., Ho O. 

 HoO= 3.00. 



