Some Experiments tvith Mesembrianthemum tortuosum. 49 



and inert organic matter. A voluminous precipitation took place. 

 This was filtered off, and to the filtrate was added solution of 

 subacetate of lead, when a further precipitation took place. It was 

 again filtered. The precipitates so obtained were not examined 

 further. The filtrate was rendered alkaline by the addition of liquid 

 ammonia, when a third precipitate fell. This precipitate was 

 preserved for later examination. The lead was removed from the 

 filtrate by means of sulphuretted hydrogen. The liquid was then 

 concentrated over a water-bath to a small quantity, rendered acid 

 by the addition of dilute sulphuric acid, and Mayer's solution 

 (Hgl 2 -f 6KI) was added until no further precipitation took place. 



The precipitate was allowed to settle, and was washed with water. 

 After suspending it in a little water, sulphuretted hydrogen was 

 passed through it to precipitate the mercury, which was separated 

 by filtration ; the filtrate was rendered alkaline and shaken together 

 with chloroform (3) and ether (1) in a suitable separator (ether alone 

 from previous experiments not being considered a good solvent of 

 the alkaloid). The chloroform solution containing the alkaloid, after 

 separation, was removed and spontaneously evaporated to dryness 

 in a capsule. 



No crystals were visible in the residue, which was next dissolved 

 in water with the addition of a drop of dilute sulphuric acid. A few 

 drops of this solution were evaporated on a microscopic slide, when 

 the sulphate of the alkaloid crystallised out. 



The solution gave the following reactions : 



With fixed Alkalies No ppt. 



With Picric Acid 



With Tannic Acid 



With Phosphomolybdic Acid ... 



Wagner's Sol. (KI + I) 



With Dragendorf's Sol. (KI + Bi) 



With Mayer's Sol. (Hgl 2 + 6KI) 



With Merc. Perchl 



With Gold Chloride 



Yellow Amorph. ppt. 

 Ppt. sol. in H 2 S0 4 insol. 



in Ammon. 

 Yellow Amorph. ppt. 

 Brown ppt. 

 Ppt. sol. in H 2 S0 4 insol. 



in Ammon. 

 Dense ppt. 

 Cloudiness 

 Cloudiness 



These reactions indicate the principle to be an alkaloid. 



The precipitate obtained after treatment with lead and ammonia 

 was examined, but it was found to contain a trace only of possibly 

 the same alkaloid. 



To test the alkaloid physiologically one or two drops of its solution 

 were injected under the skin of a frog. Within a few minutes an 



