549 
of Edinburgh, Session 1868 - 69 . 
obtaining the base of an almost pure white colour. When dissolved 
in acid this powder, however, yielded yellow solutions. 
When Nectandria is treated with sulphuric acid and binoxide of 
manganese a magnificent green colour is developed, which slowly 
changes to a violet, which cannot be distinguished from that pro- 
duced under similar circumstances with strychnia. This reaction, 
which is of exceeding delicacy, is not possessed by bebeerine. 
Nectandria has no effect in rotating the ray of polarised light. 
After separating nectandria by means of chloroform, the authors 
treated the mixed bases with boiling water, which readily acquired 
a rich yellow colour, and an intensely alkaline reaction. On cool- 
ing, the water deposited a yellow precipitate, which was found to 
consist of microscopic nodules. The substance dissolved by the 
water is a very powerful base ; its compound with platinum is 
noular, and differs from the double salt of platinum and nectandria 
in being fusible in hot water. This new base is insoluble in chlo- 
roform, decidedly soluble in water (one part is soluble in 56’8 parts 
of cold water) and insoluble in ether. 
When treated with binoxide of manganese and sulphuric acid 
it gives exactly the same reaction as nectandria. 
The taste of this base is peculiar, being both bitter and astringent. 
The platinum compound of the new base was analysed, and 
found to contain (1) 20T per cent, of platinum and (2) 20'57 per 
cent of platinum. 
After separating the two bases above referred to a brown residue 
remains, which is insoluble in chloroform, ether, and water, but 
soluble in alcohol. The alcoholic solution possesses an alkaline 
reaction. This substance forms compounds with acids, and yields 
an amorphous compound with platinum. 
The authors propose to examine in the sequel the physiological 
and therapeutical properties of the true bases treated of in this 
paper, as well as to investigate in a special manner the chemical 
relations which exist between them. 
