496 Mr. H. D. Dakin. | [May 29, 
by Victor Meyer (12) in the case of w-aminoacetophenone (CgH;.C:0.CH2N Hp), 
which readily forms stable salts, but the free base, when precipitated with 
ammonia, rapidly changes into a non-basic substance. It is mainly this 
peculiar property which leads one to conclude that it is unlikely that the 
synthetical base is the racemic modification of adrenalin, for the natural 
substance is quite stable in the dry state. 
The salts of the base show the usual colour reactions with F eCls, ete., 
which are common to adrenalin and other catechol derivatives. Potassium 
ferrocyanide produces no precipitate in the cold, but gives a greenish 
precipitate on boiling. The free base, like adrenalin, is not precipitated on 
addition of sodium acetate to solutions of the salts, although under similar | 
conditions the ketone base, methylamino-acetyleatechol, is precipitated. 
Picric acid produces no precipitate, but silver nitrate is, as one would expect, 
rapidly reduced. 
If a solution of the sulphate be treated with the exact quantity of barium 
chloride necessary to remove the sulphuric acid and the solution be con- 
centrated in vacuo at about 20° to 25°, a syrupy solution of the hydrochloride 
is obtained, but which shows no inclination to crystallise. The hydro- 
chloride may be partly precipitated as an extremely deliquescent syrupy 
mass by adding anhydrous ether to a strong alcoholic solution. 
The acetate is obtained in similar fashion from the sulphate by means of 
barium acetate. It has not been obtained crystalline, and seems to be more 
unstable than the other salts. On adding an alcoholic solution of oxalic acid 
to the acetate and then precipitating with excess of anhydrous ether, the 
oxalate is thrown out as a colourless hygroscopic oil which quickly shows 
distinct signs of crystallising, but it has not been possible to obtain 
satisfactory analyses for the salt. 
A great many attempts were made to prepare stable crystalline derivatives 
suitable for thorough investigation, but as this end has not been obtained, 
it is not proposed to give any account of the products obtained by the action 
of substances such as benzoyl chloride, benzenesulphonic chloride, acetic 
anhydride, etc., as none of these derivatives were well characterised 
substances giving satisfactory analytical results. 
Effect of Intravenous Injection of the Reduced Base—The injection of 
extremely small quantities of the synthetical substance was found to produce 
a great rise in arterial pressure. A definite rise may be obtained when one 
millionth of a gramme of the base in the form of hydrochloride is injected 
into a rabbit with vagi divided. This and other physiological similarities 
noted by Mr. Elliott would seem to indicate that the difference between the 
natural and synthetical bases is but slight, and it is perhaps not inconceivable 
