426 
DR. JOHN STENHOUSE ON THE ACTION OF 
duced, and the sparteine is changed into a brownish resin. Bleaching powder 
exhibits no peculiar reaction with sparteine ; and when this base is distilled with fused 
potash no aniline is produced. 
A quantity of sparteine was dried by contact with fused chloride of calcium, and 
when poured off from the latter substance was rectified in a small glass retort. The 
sparteine, owing to its extremely high boiling-point, 550° Fahr., distilled over very 
slowly and had a yellowish shade. A second quantity of it was rectified in a current 
of dry carbonic acid gas with a much better result, as it then came over nearly 
colourless. Its odour was however slightly altered, having become somewhat less 
agreeable. It will be presently seen from its analysis, and from those of its salts, that 
the sparteine had undergone no essential alteration. Another quantity of perfectly 
colourless sparteine which had been rectified along with the vapour of water, and 
consequently at a much lower temperature, was dried in vacuo over sulphuric acid, 
till it ceased to lose weight. This required about ten days. The oil had also acquired 
a faintly yellowish shade, but remained quite transparent, and its odour was unaltered. 
I. 0*247 grm- sparteine, dried by chloride of calcium, gave 0*6945 carbonic acid 
and 0*246 water. 
II. 0*2545 sparteine, dried in vacuo, gave 0*716 carbonic acid and 0*256 water. 
Calculated numbers. 
I. 
II. 
15 C 
1125*0 
76*91 
76*68 
76*70 
13 H 
162*5 
11*10 
11*02 
11*17 
N 
175*2 
11*99 
1462*7 
100*00 
Nitropicrate of Sparteine. 
As the more common simple salts of sparteine, such as the hydrochlorate, nitrate, 
&c., were found to be so very soluble and difficultly crystallizable, it seemed desirable 
to try whether perhaps some organic salt might prove more suitable in this respect. 
Accordingly nitropicric acid, on account of its sparing solubility, was selected for this 
purpose. A saturated solution of nitropicric acid, made with cold spirits of wine, was 
therefore heated to nearly 212° Fahr., and was then added to a hot alcoholic solution 
of sparteine. At first the nitropicric acid threw down a yellow milky precipitate, 
which redissolved when the solution was agitated. But when a sufficiency of the 
nitropicric acid had been employed, a permanent bulky crystalline precipitate was 
produced, which was collected on a filter and washed with hot water. It was then 
digested with a considerable quantity of boiling spirits of wine and filtered. The clear 
solution, on cooling, deposited the nitropicrate of sparteine in long shining needles, 
from 1 to 2 inches in length. These crystals are very brittle, and so closely resemble 
nitropicrate of potash in appearance, that they cannot be distinguished from that salt 
by the eye. Nitropicrate of sparteine is very slightly soluble, either in cold water or 
alcohol ; and it is by no means very soluble even in boiling water or spirits of wine. 
