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The Pharmacology of Indacontine and Bikhaconitine. 
By J. THEopoRE CasH, M.D., F.R.S., and WynpHAm R. DuNSTAN, 
M.A., LL.D., F.R.S. 
(Received May 24,—Read June 8, 1905.) 
The present paper deals with the physiological action of two new 
“aconitines,” which have been isolated at the Imperial Institute from two 
varieties of Indian aconite. One is an alkaloid, which has been named 
indaconitine. It was found in the roots of the Indian aconite, called by 
Bruhl, Aconitum napellus, var. hians, since identified by Stapf as a new species, 
which has received the name of Aconitum chasmanthum. Aconitum 
chasmanthum being abundant in India, the highly toxic alkaloid derived 
from this plant has been called “indaconitine,’ a name appropriate to the 
properties of this alkaloid, which closely resemble those of aconitine derived 
from the common European aconite, Aconitum napellus. 
The other alkaloid has been named “ bikhaconitine,” being derived from 
one of the highly poisonous forms of aconite known in India under the 
vernacular name of “ Bikh.” This aconite was named by Bruhl, Aconitum 
ferox, var. spicatum, but has been re-named Aconitum spicatum by Stapf, who 
regards it as a distinct species. 
The chemistry of these two alkaloids, which has been fully worked out at 
the Imperial Institute, will be described by one of us in a separate communi- 
cation. It will be sufficient to.allude here to the leading chemical characters 
of the two substances. 
Indaconitine differs only slightly from aconitine in its composition and 
properties, but in several respects these differences are well marked. 
Indaconitine crystallises well, but its usual crystalline habit is distinct from 
that of aconitine, although the crystallographic characters of the two 
substances are very similar, and they may prove to be isomorphous. Most 
of the salts crystallise readily, and the hydrobromide has been employed for 
the study of the physiological action of the alkaloid. : 
Like aconitine, indaconitine undergoes hydrolysis in two stages. Partial 
hydrolysis leads to the separation of a molecule of acetic acid, and the 
formation of a base which has been named benzoyl-pseudaconine. This 
substance on further hydrolysis furnishes one molecule of benzoic acid, and a 
base which proves to be identical with pseudaconine, the ultimate hydrolytic 
product of pseudaconitine derived from forms of <Aconitwm ferox, the 
chemistry and pharmacology of which have been described in previous 
