304 History of Chemkal Discoveries. 
the alcohol was evaporated. The residue w^s then dissolved 
in water, sub-acetate of lead was added, which precipitated the 
greater part of the colouring matter, and the excess of lead was 
separated from the solution by sulphuretted hydrogen. The 
brucine contained in this solution was saturated wdth oxalic 
acid, which formed a salt very little soluble in alcohol, and it 
was then well washed in alcohol, till the salt was colourless. 
The oxalate being decomposed by lime or magnesia, the bru- 
cine w'as liberated, and being next dissolved in boiling alcohol, 
it was crystallised by spontaneous evaporation. The crystals 
of brucine are oblique prisms, with parallelograms for their ba- 
ses. They are colourless and transparent, and are sometimes 
several lines long. Brucine dissolves in 500 parts of boiling w^ater, 
and 850 parts of cold water. It has an exceeding bitter acrid 
taste, and when administered in doses of a few grains, it is poi- 
sonous, though it acts only with one-twelfth of the energy of 
strychnine. It undergoes no change in the air, melts at a tem- 
perature a little greater than that of boiling water, without de- 
composition, and resembles wax when cooled. When strongly 
heated, it is decomposed, and yields much empyreumatic oil, a 
little water, acetic acid, carburetted hydrogen, and a very little 
carbonic acid. When decomposed by oxide of copper, it yields 
much carbonic acid, and water, and a little nitrogen, which 
seemed accidental. No trace of ammonia could be discovered 
among the products. 
Sulphate of Brucine crystallises in long slender needles, 
which seem to be four-sided prisms, terminated by pyramids. 
It is very solublein water, and slightly so in alcohol. It is very 
bitter. It is decomposed by potash, soda, ammonia, barytes, 
strontia, lime, and magnesia, and also by morphium and strych- 
nine, which dissolve in it readily. It does not dissolve in any of 
the acids but the nitric, which alters the brucine itself, and as with 
strychnine and morphium, produces a fine red colour. When 
an excess of acid is added to the solution of this salt, it crystal- 
lises more readily, and the crystals are larger, and retain the 
excess of acid after repeated solutions and crystallisations. The 
neutral sulphate contains 
Sulphuric acid, - 8.84 9.697 
Brucine, - 91.16 100.000 
