Frankfurter : the alkaloids of veratrum. 1039 



molecules of water if exposed to the air for some time. The 

 water can readily be removed by drying at 100°. 

 Analysis gave the following numbers: 



I. .2394 grms. of dried substance gave. 5280 CO* and. 1530 H 2 O. 

 IL .1692 " " " " .0502 Ag CI. 



Calculated for Found 



C Cl 3 CH (OC ;j o H 49 NOg ) 2 I II 



C= 60.38 60.2 



H= 7.38 7.1 



01= 8.2 7.35 



The alkaloid formed by the action of ammonia upon the sub- 

 stance was carefully examined in the hope of finding the 

 isomeric base of Schmidt and Kuppen. Although the base 

 seemed to have a few different properties from the original 

 veratrine, the gold double salt had exactly the same properties 

 and melting point of the original gold salt. 



. Veratrine methyliodide, G32 H49NO9' CH 3 I. Prom the re- 

 semblance of veratrine to the alkaloids narcotine and narceine, 

 it was believed that it would form a compound with methyl 

 iodide. It was found, on treating the base with excess of 

 methyl iodide, that the substance readily dissolved with the 

 exception of a very small quantity of gelatinous substance, 

 which was found to be an impurity. In allowing the filtered 

 solution to stand for some hours, or by heating on a water bath 

 with a reflux condenser, the whole of the base precipitated 

 out as a solid, yellow, crystalline mass. The reaction was com- 

 plete at the end of an hour on the water bath, but it required 

 several days at the ordinary temperature to completely con- 

 vert it into the iodide. Excess of the methyl iodide was then 

 evaporated off and the veratrine compound treated with ether 

 to remove any trace of the unchanged alkaloid. The iodide 

 thus obtained was a light yellow crystalline powder, insoluble 

 in ether and chloroform, and soluble in methyl and ethyl alco- 

 hols. It is soluble in hot water, from which it can be obtained 

 as an almost white crystalline powder. It melts at 210°-212° 

 with apparent decomposition. 



It contains 1.5 molecules of water of crystallization which can 

 be removed by drying at 100. 



I. 0.3517 grms. dried to constant weight at 100° lost .0132 

 II. 1.1180 " " " " " " " *' .0431 



Calculated for Found 



C b oH 40 NO 9 - CH 3 1 + 1.5 Ho O. I. II. 



1|H, 0=3.55 3.72 3.85 



