ON THE CHEMISTRY OF AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS. 195 
remains as a varnish, soluble in water and in alcohol, and partl 
crystallizing from the latter in thin, white prisms. Its solutions 
are alkaline and intensely bitter. The base melts at 82°, and 
resolidifies in the amorphous state. With strong nitric acid it 
exhibits a characteristic red colour ; with sulphuric and hydro- 
cloric acid it forms neutral salts, whose solutions exhibit a strong, 
blue fluorescence when slightly acidulated. The sulphate crystal- 
izes in thin prisms, easily soluble in water and alcohol; the 
hydriodide, mercuro-chloride, platino-chloride, and auro-chloride are 
yellow or white precipitates. In the solution of the acid sulphate, 
potassium dichromate produces a blood red colour, which subse- 
quently disappears, with formation of a yellow precipitate. 
CuLorocentne. ©. Hesse. (An. Ch, Pharm. Suppl. IV, 40. 
Jaresb. 1865, p. 458; Watt’s Dict. Suppl. I, 443. 
The mercuric-chloride precipitate (last extract) is the mercuro- 
chloride of chlorogenine. Separated from the mercury compound 
and precipitated from the solution of its sulphate by ammonia, it 
especially so in chloroform, with which it yields a solution, red- 
brown by transmitted and green by reflected light. Tt is very 
bitter, and causes uneasiness and a tendency to vomit when 
Swallowed. It is the active and colouring principle of the bark, 
Which contains 24 per cent. of it. Its formula is C,, H., O, and 
it yields only amorphous salts. 
ALKALorps or ALsTonra consTrRicta. O. Hesse. (Annalen CCV, 
360, Chem. Soc, Jour. XL, 623. ; 
Various substances have been described by different chemists 
under the name of alstonine, which the author proposes to confine 
to chlorogenine. 
is base is prepared by dissolving the alcoholic extract of the 
bark in water saturated with acid sodium carbonate. e clear 
filtered solution is agitated with light petroleum to remove other 
, and the alstonine obtained by saturating the solution with 
2 and shaking with chloroform, which becomes blackish brown. 
The base is removed from the chloroform by agitation with water 
and acetic acid ; the chloroform being distilled off, the acid liquid 
S purified by filtration through animal charcoal and the alkaloid 
Precipitated by soda, 
, Atstonine, C,, H,, N, 0, isa brown amorphous mass, becomir 
darker in the desiccator and finally of a coffee colour, the change 
ares rapid at 80°. It dissolves easily in chloroform but | 
forming salts with acids, Its ] 
