October 26,1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
323 
cliloric acicl or cream of tartar; two drops of oil of 
orange peel or oil of lemon, three fluid ounces of 
syrup, three fluid ounces of orange-flower water, and 
two fluid ounces of strong alcohol are then mixed, 
united with the first solution, filtered tlirougli cream 
of tartar, and sufficient caramel added to give the 
filtrate the colour of sherry wine. Moderately acid 
mixtures containing fruit oils of the aurantacese 
rapidly generate the disagreeable odour {which charac¬ 
terizes a mixture of oil of turpentine and strong sul¬ 
phuric acid. But a saturated solution of cream of 
tartar, which even then contains mere traces of this 
substance, especially in the presence of alcohol, does 
not affect the grateful flavour of orange peel, more¬ 
over the presence of oil of orange flower seems to 
exercise a protective influence. 
The simple solution of pepsin in water acidulated 
with cream of tartar, and filtered through this sub¬ 
stance, was mixed with water acidified with hydro¬ 
chloric acid, and (ifty grains (a slight excess) of freshly 
coagulated albumen added. An unfiltered solution 
of saccharated pepsin in six fluid drachms of 
water acidulated with liydrocliloric acid was also 
treated with fifty grains of albumen. Both mixtures 
were then placed in a water-bath, at a temperature 
ranging from 100° to 105° Fahrenheit. After about 
four hours the albumen in both mixtures was almost 
completely dissolved. Double the quantity of albu¬ 
men, with twice as much of the pepsin solution, was 
then diluted with water to six fluid ounces, and set 
aside. At the ordinary temperature, after a little 
over three days, only a trifle of the albumen remained 
undissolved. To the mixture of the unfiltered pepsin 
solution an additional 50 grains of albumen was 
added, and diluted with an equal volume of water. 
After four hours, at a temperature of about 105°, no 
very appreciable diminution of the albumen was 
visible. More of the acidulated pepsin solution was 
then added, and after about four hours only six grains 
of albumen remained. 
Popular opposition to the use of alcohol in solu¬ 
tions of pepsin, and the writer’s aversion to gly¬ 
cerine, induced him to make a syrup of pepsin, by dis¬ 
solving without heat about 12 or 13 ounces of sugar in 
8 fluid ounces of aqueous pepsin solution filtered 
through cream of tartar. In making syrup without 
heat, the operation is much facilitated by reserving a 
small portion of the liquid, pouring the rest over the 
sugar, stirring frequently during a proper period, 
and decanting the syrup through a strainer; then, 
by adding the reserved liquid to the residuary por¬ 
tion of undissolved sugar, this will quickly dissolve, 
and may be added to the rest through the strainer. 
To try the effect of a concentrated syrupy solution 
of pepsin upon albumen, a quantity of unfiltered acid 
pepsin solution, representing six grains of saccharated 
pepsin, was added to half a fluid ounce of simple 
syrup containing 45 grains of albumen, and diluted 
with water containing hydrochloric acid to the volume 
of a fluid ounce. After a digestion of six hours 
at the required temperature, no apparent change in 
the albumen had occurred. This, on removal from 
the liquid, and thorough drying between folds of 
bibulous paper, seemed larger and firmer than before 
its treatment, and had actually gained 10 grains 
over its original weight of 45 grains; showing that 
an assimilation of water had probably taken place 
without materially affecting the physical appearance. 
(To be continued.) 
THE PRESENCE OF AN ORGANIC ALKALI 
IN BOLDO. 
BY E. BOURGOIN AND C. VERNE. 
The boldo is a tree indigenous to Chili, which some¬ 
times attains the height of from five to six metres, and 
belongs to the order JTonimiaccce. It was first attri¬ 
buted to a laurel, the Laurus dioica of Dombey. It is 
the Boldoa fragrans of Jussieu, the liuizia fragrans of 
Ruiz and Pavon, and the Peumus fragrans of Persoz. 
Baillon has recently described it under the name of 
Peumus boldus. The leaves have a strong piquant cam- 
phorate savour. They contain an essential oil and an 
organic alkali, to which the authors propose to give the 
name of boldine. The following method was adopted 
by them in their researches. 
The powdered leaves were exhausted with washed 
ether in a displacement apparatus, by which method a 
well-saturated aromatic tincture was obtained. When 
this was submitted to distillation, the thermometer after 
the ether had passed over remained stationary at 185°, 
and a certain quantity of an essential oil, recalling the 
odour of the plant, was collected. The thermometer then 
rose gradually to about 230°, when it again remained 
stationary for some time, and afterwards mounted to 
about 300°. These facts showed that the ether had 
taken up some complex volatile products ; in other 
words, that the essential oil of boldo is a mixture of 
several bodies, agreeing with what has been observed in 
regard to most aromatic plants. 
When the powder would yield nothing more to ether, 
it was exhausted with 90° alcohol, containing tartaric 
acid in solution. Upon evaporation, a syrupy acid 
residue was obtained, which was agitated with washed 
ether, in order to remove a brown odorous matter, soluble 
in ether, alcohol and acids. After saturation with bi¬ 
carbonate of potash it was agitated afresh with ether, 
which then took up a matter presenting all the charac¬ 
teristic reactions of an alkaloid; this was impure bol¬ 
dine. 
In order to purify this product, it wa3 dissolved in 
water slightly acidulated with acetic acid, and then pre¬ 
cipitated by ammonia added in slight excess. This al¬ 
kaloid existed in small quantity in the leaves operated 
upon—about one part in one thousand,—and moreover 
it was difficult to obtain it pure, since the aromatic mat¬ 
ter previously mentioned, which was soluble in acids, 
clung to it with great persistence. 
The above process being one rather of research than 
of extraction, after various experiments the following 
was adopted :—The leaves, coarsely powdered, were ex¬ 
hausted by infusion in water acidulated by thirty 
grains of acetic per kilogram of product. The liquor 
was filtered and evaporated in a water-bath to the con¬ 
sistence of thick honey. It was then acid, and con¬ 
tained, beside the alkaloid, a little aromatic matter and 
a large quantity of acetate of lime. When the acetic 
acid was replaced by citric acid, alcohol caused a volumi¬ 
nous precipitate of citrate of lime ; with sulphuric acid it 
formed an abundant deposit of sulphate of lime. These 
facts indicate the presence in the leaves in large pro¬ 
portion of a lime salt. The operation was terminated 
by washing with ether, saturating with the alkaline 
bicarbonate, and taking up the alkaloid with ether. 
Upon evaporation a residue was left which was dissolved 
in diluted acetic acid and then precipitated by ammonia. 
It was usually necessary to repeat this process to rid 
the alkaloid of a small quantity of yellow matter. 
Boldine is very slightly soluble in water, to which, 
however, it communicates an alkaline reaction and a 
perceptibly bitter taste. It is soluble in alcohol, ether, 
chloroform, caustic alkalies, and in crystallizable ben¬ 
zine. From solution in acids it is precipitated by am¬ 
monia and the double iodide of mercury and potassium, 
and gives with solution of iodine a chestnut-brown pre¬ 
cipitate. Concentrated nitric acid immediately colours 
