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a little acetic acid may be added. In this solution, caustic alkalies or their 
carbonates produce an abundant precipitate, which is dissolved by ether. In 
order to purify it, the precipitate may however be collected, washed, dried 
or not, and redissolved either in acids or ether. Another process may be 
founded on the solubility of pelosine in carbonic acid ; on expelling this acid, 
the alkaloid is precipitated. By either of these methods, it can at last be 
obtained as a white amorphous powder ; the yield, even of the bark only is 
very small, amounting to not more than half per cent, at best. Yet com¬ 
mercial Pareira Brava affords far less, or more commonly, none at all. This 
fact consequently shows that true Pareira derived from Cissampelos Pareira, 
ought to be introduced instead of the usual drug, which on account of its 
want of alkaloid is probably quite useless. 
As to my pelosine, its reactions were in all points, the same as those of bi- 
birine. Neither myself nor my assistant Dr. Kraushaar were able to trace 
any difference between the two. Pelosine yielded 72*09 per cent of Carbon, 
and 6*8 of Hydrogen. The platinum compound gave 19*13 of metal; the hy- 
clrochlorate 12*68 of hydrochloric acid. Its composition, therefore, agrees 
with that of bibirine, or perhaps Bodeker’s formula* C lg H 21 N 0 3 is the more 
correct; it indeed requires 72*24 Carbon and 7*02 Hydrogen. It would be 
highly desirable to examine crystallized derivatives of the alkaloid, in order 
to ascertain whether C ls H 21 N0 3 or C 19 H 21 N0 3 is the true expression of its 
constitution, but I tried, in vain to obtain, for instance, a bromated compound, 
or any product of decomposition of the alkaloid, in a crystallized state. 
To the above properties of pelosine (or bibirine) I may add its easy solu¬ 
bility in bisulphide of carbon, in which it is even more soluble than in ether. 
As to the latter, Wiggers had stated that the hydrate of pelosine does not 
dissolve in ether, a statement which I however cannot confirm, even after 
having examined a sample for which I am indebted to Prof. Wiggers himself. 
•—Pelosine dissolved in four parts of acetone, deviates the ray of polarized light 
1,5° to the right, when examined in a column of 25 millimetres. 
Pelosine as met with in Cissampelos from Jamaica, is accompanied by a 
neutral principle, of which I obtained once only a small quantity in fine 
hexagonal scales. This body is insoluble in acids, at least when dilute, but 
crystallizes from an alcoholic solution. The crystals are colourless, but 
acquire when moistened with concentrated sulphuric acid, a magnificent blue 
colour, which quickly turns green and red and then disappears. I was 
unable to obtain any larger quantity of this remarkable body, which I would 
name Deyamittin, f in order that it may not escape in further investigations. 
In 1860, Walz made some experiments on Buxine, the alkaloid of the 
leaves of Buxus sempervirens, and found it to be identical with bibirine. 
Walz precipitated the buxine by adding hydrochloric acid to a solution of the 
crude hydrochlorate of this alkaioid. I ascertained that in the same way 
bibirine (as well as pelosine) can be obtained, and consequently, feel assured, 
that Walz is correct in identifying buxine and bibirine, with which I now 
associate pelosine, though I am about to examine buxine itself. 
In Bibiru bark, bibirine is accompanied by a dark yellow matter, contain¬ 
ing another alkaloid, called Sipirine by Maclagan, who did not succeed in 
isolating it satisfactorily, nor have I been more successful. Pelosine, accord¬ 
ing to Bodeker, is easily converted into a yellow matter, which he named 
Pellutein; I think it more correct to say that such a body pre-exists in 
pareira. Finally, in Buxus sempervirens, Walz also met with a yellow sub¬ 
stance named Buxojlaviii. Let us hope that the investigations of Drs. Mac- 
* Gmelin’s Chemistry xvii. 26. 
f Deyamitta, being the Cyngalese name of Cissampelos Pareira. 
