DR THOMAS R. FRASER ON STROPHANTHUS HISPIDUS. 1011 



lucency by the growth of a fungus in them ; but, notwithstanding this circumstance, as 

 has already been stated, even after several months, no glucose appears in the solutions, 

 and they apparently retain their original bitterness and pharmacological activity. 



Strophanthin melts at a temperature of 343° F. Below this temperature, at about 

 295° F., it acquires a faintly yellow colour, which becomes yellowish-brown at the 

 melting point. When the temperature is further raised, it evolves fumes having at 

 first a caramel and then a disagreeable empyreumatic odour, becomes charred, and finally 

 disappears without almost any residue. 



When heated in a test-tube with soda lime, and when tested by Lassaigne's cyanogen 

 process, it was found to contain no nitrogen. 



Ultimate Analysis — In order to determine its percentage composition, several com- 

 bustions were made, of which the three following agree closely in their results : — 



Analysis No. 31. — 0*3 gramme, yielded C0 2 , 0*610 = 55*45 per cent. C. 



H 2 0, 0'204 = 7*55 per cent. H. 

 Analysis No. 32. — 0*1789 gramme, yielded C0 2 , 0*3635 = 55*41 per cent. C. 



„ H 2 0, 0*1222= 7*58 per cent. H. 

 Analysis No. 33. — 0*1893 gramme, yielded C0 2 , 0*3849 = 55'45 per cent. C. 



„ H 2 0, 0*1288= 7*56 per cent. H. 



These percentages correspond with the formula C 16 H 26 8 . 





Found (average of above 

 three analyses). 



Calculated for 



Carbon, 



55*43 



55*49 per cent. 



Hydrogen, 



7*56 



7*51 „ 



Oxygen (by subtraction), 



37*01 



37*0 



C 16 H 26 8 may, therefore, provisionally be adopted as the formula of strophanthin, until 

 at any rate more complete knowledge has been obtained of its constitution. 



Reactions. 



When various reagents were applied to strophanthin in the dry state, and also in 

 2 per cent, solution, the results were as follows : — 



Dry Strophanthin. 



1. When a minute quantity, in the form of powder, was moistened with a drop of 

 strong sulphuric acid, a bright green colour was immediately produced, which in a few 

 seconds became greenish-yellow, and then brown at the centre with green at the edges ; 

 in twenty minutes, the whole was brownish-green; in a few minutes afterwards, it was 

 grey, with a greenish tint ; and in the course of an hour or two, dirty brown, without 

 any green. 



When strophanthin moistened with strong sulphuric acid was heated to between 110° 



VOL. XXXV. PART IV. (NO. 21). 7 



