568 DRS MACLAGAN AND A. GAMGEE ON THE ALKALOIDS CONTAINED 



of that firm discovered that, on subjecting the wood to a process similar to that 

 which had been used in the separation of bebeerine from the bark, a product was 

 obtained which did not apparently differ from bebeerine in its physical properties. 

 He requested us to undertake for ourselves the examination of the product which 

 he had obtained from the wood. 



The substance handed to us for examination had been prepared by subjecting 

 the wood of the bebeeru tree to a process substantially identical with that recom- 

 mended in the " British Pharmacopoeia" for the extraction of the sulphate of 

 bebeerine from the bark. The product did not differ in appearance from the 

 latter substance as it occurs in commerce, i.e., it was in the form of shining 

 yellowish-brown scales, soluble in water, and possessed of an intensely bitter 

 taste, not differing perceptibly from that of sulphate of bebeerine. 



In the first place, a portion of this substance was dried in the water-bath, and 

 then the amount of sulphuric acid determined. 



(1.) 2 - 001 grms. of substance yielded 05300 grins, of sulphate of barium. 



(2) 2.001 grms. of substance yielded 0483 grms. of sulphate of barium. 



The mean of these two results gives to amount of sulphuric acid (calculated 

 as H.,S0 4 ) as 10 69 per cent. This would indicate that the substance examined 

 consisted of sulphate of bebeerine, mixed with other substances ; or that it was 

 composed of the sulphate of one or more alkaloids, having a higher molecular 

 weight than bebeerine. 



One hundred grammes of the powdered but undried sulphate were dissolved 

 in two litres and a half of distilled water. An insignificant quantity of a brownish 

 powder was left undissolved. The fluid was filtered through calico, and precipi- 

 tated carefully with solution of ammonia. The bulky precipitate was collected 

 on calico, carefully washed, and dried on the water-bath. When dry, it was 

 boiled for some time with chloroform. The latter fluid soon acquired a deep 

 brownish-yellow colour. The residue was treated three successive times with 

 chloroform. At the end of that time, the chloroform appeared to exert no action 

 upon the tolerably abundant residue. When dried, the chloroform extract 

 weighed 60-55 grammes ; it had a brownish-yellow colour, and broke with a 

 resinoid fracture. When powdered, it possessed a very pretty yellow colour. 



We shall, in the first place, state the result of our examination of this sub- 

 stance before proceeding to that of the bodies which were left undissolved by the 

 chloroform. 



I. Examination of Nectandria, a new Base soluble in Chloroform. 



The chloroformic extract, to which we have referred, left no ash when ignited 

 on platinum. It was very freely soluble in rectified spirit ; less soluble in absolute 

 alcohol. It was not perceptibly dissolved by cold distilled water. When boiled 

 with water, it very readily fused at a temperature below T 100° C. ; and the boiling 



