238 



The expei'iment was made with the view of isolating an alkaloid. A resin 

 was separated (the powder before mentioned) ; it was combustible, burning 

 with a clear flame. Besides, a bright yellowish-coloured fragrant oil. This 

 fragrant oil was also obtained by distilling the expi-essed juice of the fresh and 

 succulent young shoots. It comes over with the water, rendering it veiy 

 fragrant. A solution of sodium chloiide added to this fragrant water (it being 

 previously shaken up with a little potash) immediately curdles it. 



Aboiit three ounces of leaves were exhausted by percolation with 

 precipitate and benzine successively. The benzine solution contained nothing 

 of importance. The alcoholic solution was treated the same as that of the 

 young shoots ; it contained the fragrant oil, it was also poisonous, but lime was 

 substituted this time for the acetate of lead. This time no alkaloid was found, 

 and altogether it was a most unsatisfactory experiment, I thought the 

 principles were lost. 



Three-quarters of a pound of the bark was next examined. It was in a 

 bad condition, and had been taken ofi" a part of the trunk of a tree near 

 the ground ; it had been submerged during a flood of the Hokitika River. 

 This was treated in the same manner as the young shoots, with the exception 

 that lime was used, but yielded nothing besides a trace of the fragrant oil and 

 some resinous matter. 



Some of the seeds of the fruit (three quarters of an ounce), all that could 

 be obtained the season being so far advanced, were macerated in alcohol and 

 evaporated. To this alcoholic extract a little powdered lime was added and 

 mixed. It was then well washed with spt. vin., ether, and chloroform, in 

 succession. Neither of the latter two yielded anything upon spontaneous 

 evaporation. The alcoholic solution evaporated ; the residue was treated with 

 acid sulph. dil. filtered, and pot. carb. added in excess caused a flocculent pre- 

 cipitate. The solution separated, the precipitate was treated with alcohol, and 

 filtered. As the sokition became more concentrated, a heavy olive-coloured 

 oily fluid separated. Some shoots of the tree gathered 3rd December, 1869, 

 yielded this oily fluid. It is of a most poisonous nature, half a drop 

 administered to a terrier exciting most severe symjDtoms, (vomiting and con- 

 vulsions). After further concentration, ether was added, when a yellowish 

 precipitate formed, the oily fluid separating of a clear olive-green colour. 

 As the ether volatilized the precipitate was redissolved by the alcohol ; the 

 oily fluid remained. Chloroform added caiised a pure snow-white precij)itate, 

 which floated, the oil still remaining unaffected. It was then sepai-ated from 

 the precipitate, dissolved in alcohol, and filtered. Upon evaporating spon- 

 taneously it deposited feathery crystals of a dingy colour (imjoure or con- 

 taminated with the oily fluid). Before all the alcohol had evaporated, 

 chloroform always gave a pure snow-white precipitate. The crystals were 

 extremely deliquescent. I thought this oily -looking fluid was a liquid alkaloid 



