VEGETABLES AS THE SOURCES OF ARTIFICIAL ALKALOIDS. 
51 
at any rate more soluble than those whose boiling-points were high. They all dis- 
solved in every proportion in alcohol and in ether. The bases exhibited strong alkaline 
reactions with turmeric paper, and restored the blue colour of litmus. They caused 
abundant fumes when a rod moistened with muriatic acid was held over them, and 
they neutralized acids perfectly, forming in general crystallizable salt. They formed 
double salts with the bichlorides of gold, platinum and mercury. These compounds 
were soluble in water to nearly the same extent as the corresponding arnmoniacal 
salts. The platinum salts crystallized in four-sided prisms arranged in stars. The salts, 
which the bases with high boiling-points formed, were however often contaminated 
with a brownish resin, and crystallized but imperfectly. This was the case also with 
the gold salts. The bases also precipitated the persalts of iron and those of copper 
just as ammonia does, forming like it a fine blue colour when the bases were in 
excess. Though kept for a considerable time in loosely-stoppered bottles,which were 
not unfrequently opened, they remained transparent and colourless ; but if exposed 
to a strong light, especially those of them which had the highest boiling-points, they 
gradually became of a deep yellow colour. These bases were pretty readily oxidi- 
zable. When treated with nitric acid, they were rapidly changed into yellowish resins, 
but no charbazotic acid was produced. When brought in contact with hypochlorite 
of lime, they were also changed into brownish resins, but not a trace of aniline could 
be found, though it was carefully sought for. When the bases were boiled for a few 
minutes in a retort, they gradually became coloured, though the liquid which distilled 
over was as colourless as at first. At the close of the distillation a small quantity of 
resinous matter remained in the retort. I shall now subjoin some very imperfect 
analytical details, in order to give in the meantime some idea of the nature of these 
bases. I regret that the difficulty I have hitherto experienced in procuring them in 
large quantaties has prevented me from submitting them to the thorough examina- 
tion they deserve, and which I hope ere long to accomplish. It is not that beans 
and other seeds, as we shall presently see, yield smaller quantities of bases than 
bones and other animal substances ; on the contrary, their product in bases is equal 
to that obtained from the distillation of bones, and, as might have been expected, 
much greater than that from coal. The difficulty wholly arises from this circum- 
stance, that as both bones and coal are regularly distilled on the largest scale for 
commercial purposes, the crude oils of both bones and coal may be easily procured 
in any quantity, and from these their respective series of bases may be readily pre- 
pared. In regard to the bases from beans and similar seeds, however, the case is very 
different, the scientific chemist requiring to distil these substances on purpose, an 
operation which cannot be conveniently conducted in a laboratory, as the necessary 
apparatus is so large as to be almost upon a manufacturing scale. 
I. 0’298grm. of the base, boiling between 150° and 155° C., when analysed gave 
0'815 carbonic acid and 0-222 water. 
II. 0-270 grin, gave 0-7405 Co^ and 0’189 water. 
