362 SOME REPUTED MEDICINAL PLANTS OP NEW SOUTH WALES, 



In the " Organic Constituents of Plants" translated by Baron 

 Mueller from Dr. Wittstein's work, will be found an account of 

 an alkaloid called Alstonine obtained by Mueller and Runimel 

 from the bark, (q.v.) 



The correctness of the above results has been disputed by 

 Hesse, who expressed the opinion that the supposed alkaloid was 

 a mixture of chlorogenine aiid porphyrine. (Ber. d. Deutsch. Chem. 

 Gesells., 1878, p. 2175). 



In June 1879, Oberlin and Schlagdenhauffen announced* the 

 isolation of two alkaloids from this bark, a crystallizable and an 

 amorphous one. They found the bark to be soluble in ether to the 

 extent of 1 "038 per cent, and to this ethereal extract their atten- 

 tion was confined. In Pharm. Jowrn. [3], ix. 1059, is an abstract 

 of their paper, and an account is given not only of the method of 

 preparing these alkaloids, but also of their physical and chemical 

 properties. The crystalline alkaloid occurring in silky tufts of 

 brilliant, coloiniess, isolated or stellate crystals, is styled alstonine^ 

 while an amorphous nitrogenous residue, possessing alkaloidal 

 properties, obtained by spontaneous evaporation from the mother 

 liquor which yielded alstonine, is provisionally termed alst07iicine. 



In 1881 an exhaustive research on this bark was contributed 

 by Hesse to the Annalen der Ghemie ccv. 360, of which a careful 

 abstract appears in the Pluirm. Journ. [3], xi. 775. Palm's 

 " Alstonin" (notwithstanding the alleged absence of nitrogen), 

 was shown V)y Hesse to consist essentially of an alkaloid which he 

 had obtained from the bark and called chlorogenine. But as 

 Palm's name had priority, Hesse called the alkaloid alstonine. 

 But unfortunate confusion has arisen in Mueller and Rummel, and 

 Oberlin and Schlagdenhauffen [vide supra) also having given 

 so descriptive a name to substances of different composition. The 

 abstract above referred to gives a very lucid account of the ovei'- 

 lapping of various researches, and shows how the different results 

 obtained by different observers may be reconciled. After this 



*" Journal de Pharraacie et de Chiinie." 

 tProbably Hesse's porphyrine. 



