xii. a. 4 Briil and Wells: Medicinal Plants, II 183 



soluble in hot absolute ethyl and methyl alcohol, from which 

 solutions by careful evaporation crystals were obtained (Plate 

 III). 



The amorphous compound is but slightly soluble at 20° C. in 

 ethyl and methyl alcohol. It is almost insoluble in cold chloro- 

 form, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether and is insoluble in cold 

 ether, benzol, amyl alcohol, and acetone. The amorphous sub- 

 stance precipitated from the ethyl-methyl alcoholic solution by 

 ether is very hygroscopic, quickly changing from a white solid 

 to a reddish brown aqueous solution. Plate III, fig. 1, shows the 

 dendritic crystals which formed quickly from absolute alcohol. 

 Plate III, fig. 2, shows cubical crystals formed from the amor- 

 phous substance on long standing in a vacuum desiccator over 

 calcium chloride. Both forms of crystals were soluble in the 

 organic solvents that dissolve the amorphous alkaloid and were 

 toxic in large dosage in their action toward guinea pigs. 



The hydrochloride, nitrate, and sulphate were made. The 

 hydrochloride crystallizes with difficulty in acicular form from 

 a weakly acid solution (Plate IV, fig. 1). 



Besides the above colorless crystals a few prisms may be 

 observed present in the microphotograph. Both forms of crys- 

 tals react positively for alkaloids. This suggests possibly the 

 presence of two alkaloids. 



The nitrate forms in pale yellow elongated prisms, and the 

 sulphate forms in plates or prisms of the same color. An 

 aqueous solution of the purified free alkaloid reacts heavily with 

 the general group reagents: 



Iron chloride gives a reddish solution ; gold chloride, a yellow 

 precipitate ; platinic chloride, a pale yellow precipitate ; bromine, 

 a yellow precipitate; potassium-cadmium-iodide, a white precip- 

 itate; mercuric chloride, a white precipitate; potassium iodide, 

 a white precipitate (slight); picric acid, a yellow precipitate; 

 Mayer's reagent, a white precipitate; Kraut's reagent, a red 

 precipitate. 



The compound was tested for nitrogen; it reacted positively. 

 The bromine compound is unstable, easily decomposing when 

 filtered free of excess bromine. A portion of the crude alkaloid 

 was purified by precipitation with Kraut's reagent and broken 

 up by alkaline carbonate. The pure alkaloid obtained was not 

 a large yield and was amorphous. 



The dried, finely ground leaves were exhausted in the usual 

 manner with petroleum ether, ether, and chloroform-alcohol mix- 

 ture. The petroleum ether solution contained a neutral wax 

 and a small quantity of an essential oil of yellow color and sharp 



