42 ACTION OF HALOGEN COMPOUNDS OF ETHYL AND AMYL 



These numbers agree closely with those corresponding to a formula containing an 

 atom of water less than the preceding, 



C 46 H 27 N 2 4 0, HO + 2 aq. ; 



and it is just possible that the errors occasioned by the presence of carbonic acid 

 and the basic product of decomposition, both of which, after all, bear but a small 

 proportion to the whole substance, may counterbalance each other; I leave 

 the fact of the analysis, since it is some sort of control over that immediately 

 preceding. 



A freshly prepared solution of the base, by action of oxide of silver on the 

 iodide, has a red purple colour and an extremely bitter taste ; its reaction is highly 

 alkaline. It yields no immediate precipitate with solutions of barium and cal- 

 cium chlorides, but causes partial precipitation on application of heat ; it throws 

 down from sulphate of magnesia, in the cold, a flocky precipitate, and also gives 

 with solutions of the heavy metallic oxides, and with alumina, immediate deposits ; 

 but I had not material sufficient to determine its solvent power in particular 

 cases. On being boiled, it evolves the odour of a volatile base. With chlorine, 

 bromine, and iodine, it yields products. When it, or its carbonate, is treated with 

 hydrosulphuric acid, and suffered to stand, a hyposulphite is found to result, 

 which may be obtained crystalline by evaporation, and is soluble in alcohol. This 

 base gives the same reaction as strychnine with sulphuric acid and chromate of 

 potass. 



When iodide of ethylostrychnine is heated in a retort with excess of soda-lime, 

 a heavy oil distills over which is partly basic and partly insoluble in acids : the 

 hydrochloric solution of the soluble portion gave with bichloride of platinum an 

 uncrystalline salt, but I had not sufficient to determine if, in this decomposition, the 

 ethyl molecule attaches itself to the volatile base, which is no doubt either leu- 

 coline or ethyloleucoline. 



Action of Iodide of Ethyl on Ethylostrychnine.— This reaction appears to result 

 in the formation of iodide of ethylostrychnine and some other product. I em- 

 ployed for the experiment the mother liquor of the hydrate which was analysed : 

 this alcoholic fluid was sealed up in a tube with iodide of ethyl, and the whole 

 was heated for half- an-h our in boiling water. The liquid remained clear while 

 hot, but soon became turbid on cooling, and finally deposited some rounded trans- 

 parent yellowish grains. These proved, when separated from the mother liquor 

 by decantation, to be completely soluble in hot water ; their solution deposited a 

 little flocky matter, and when filtered from this and evaporated, groups of stellate 

 crystals. These crystals agreed in characters with iodide of ethylostrychnine, and 

 furnished with oxide of silver a caustic yellow liquor, which became filled with 

 prismatic crystals on the addition of a little nitric acid. The alkaline solution 



