HISTORICAL SKETCH. 29 



and coniine by its greater volatility and its pecnliar odor. 

 He supposed that this substance was produced by decom- 

 position, and, in order to ascertain the truth of his suppo- 

 sition, he took the organs of a cadaver that had lain for 

 sixteen days at a temperature of 30° and was well decom- 

 posed. These were treated with tartaric acid and alcohol. 

 The acid solution was first extracted with ether, and yielded 

 no result ; it was then rendered alkaline and extracted 

 with ether. The latter extract gave, on evaporation, the 

 same substance which he had found in the organs of the 

 child. The residue was a yellowish oil, having an odor 

 somewhat similar to propylamine. It was repulsive, but 

 not bitter to the taste, and alkaline in reaction. On the 

 addition of hydrochloric acid, it crystallized in white needles, 

 which were freely soluble in water, but soluble with diffi- 

 culty in alcohol. On the addition of ammonium hydrate 

 to this crystalline substance, a white vapor of unpleasant 

 odor was given off. The crystals dissolved in sulphuric acid, 

 forming a solution which was at first colorless, but which 

 gradually became dirty brownish - yellow, and grayish- 

 brown on the application of heat. On being warmed with 

 sodium molybdate, a splendid blue color, becoming gradu- 

 ally gray, was produced. Potassium bichromate and sul- 

 phuric acid gave a reddish-brown, then a grass-green color. 

 H^itric acid gave a yellow color. A tartaric acid solution 

 of the crystals produced, on the addition of platinum chlo- 

 ride, a dirty yellow precipitate of small six-sided stars, 

 which contained 31.55 per cent, of platinum. Gold chlo- 

 ride gave a pale yellow, amorphous precipitate; mercuric 

 chloride yielded white crystals ; potassio-merciiric iodide a 

 dirty-white precipitate ; and potassio-cadmic iodide yielded 

 no result. Tannic acid produced only a turbidity. Sodium 

 phospho-molybdate gave a yellow, flocculent precipitate, 

 which became blue on the addition of ammonium hydrate. 

 This base has a slight reducing power, and in this it 

 resembles a substance obtained by Selmi, but it differs 

 from Selmi's extract inasnuich as it does not give a violet 

 coloration on being warmed with sulphuric acid. In its 

 amorphous character, its behavior to the general alkaloidal 



