286 POISONS : THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§§ 347, 348. 
Sparteine is separated from the plant by extraction with sulphuric acid holding 
water, and then alkalising the acid solution and distilling : it has the formula 
(C 15 H 26 N 2 ), and belongs to the class of tertiary diamines. It is a clear, thick, oily 
substance, scarcely soluble in water, to which it imparts a strong, alkaline reaction ; 
it is soluble in alcohol, in ether, and in chloroform ; insoluble in benzene and in petro¬ 
leum ; it boils at 288°. Sparteine neutralises acids fully, but the oxalate is the only 
one which can be readily obtained in crystals. It forms crystalline salts with platinic 
chloride, with gold chloride, with mercuric chloride, and with zinc chloride. The 
picrate is an especially beautiful salt, crystallising in long needles, which, when dried 
and heated, explode. On sealing sparteine up in a tube with ethyl iodide and alcohol, 
and heating to 100° for an hour, ethyl sparteine iodide separates in long, needle-like 
crystals, which are somewhat insoluble in cold alcohol. 
Sparteine slows, but at the same time weakens, the heart’s beat. Sparteine 
sulphate is in commerce, but not official; the medicinal dose is 6-5 mgrms. (about 
0T grain). 
Effect On Animals. —A single drop kills a rabbit; the symptoms are similar to 
those produced by nicotine, but the pupils are dilated. 1 
5. ANILINE. 
§ 347. Properties. —Aniline or amido-benzol (C 6 H 5 NH 2 ) is made by the reduction 
of nitro-benzol. It is an oily fluid, colourless when quite pure, but gradually 
assuming a yellow tinge on exposure to the air. It has a peculiar and distinctive 
smell. It boils at 182-5°, and freezes at 8°. It is slightly soluble in water, 
100 parts of water at 16° retaining about 3 of aniline, and easily soluble in 
alcohol, ether, and chloroform. It does not blue red litmus-paper, but nevertheless 
acts as a weak alkali, for it precipitates iron from its salts. It forms a large number 
of crystalline salts. The hydrochloride crystallises in white plates, and has a melting- 
' point of 192°. The platinum compound has the formula of (C 6 H 5 NH 2 HCl) 2 PtCl 4 , 
and crystallises in yellow needles. 
§ 348. Symptoms and Effects. —Aniline, like picric acid, coagulates albumin. 
Aniline is a blood poison ; it produces, even during life, in some obscure way, 
methsemoglobin, and it disintegrates the red blood corpuscles ; both these effects 
lessen the power of the blood corpuscles to convey oxygen to the tissues, hence the 
cyanosis observed so frequently in aniline poisoning is explained. Engelhardt 2 has 
found that aniline black is produced ; in every drop of blood there are fine black 
granules, the total effect of which produces a pale blue or grey-blue colour of the skin. 
Aniline has also an action on the central nervous system, at first stimulating, and 
then paralysing. Schmiedeberg finds that para-amido-phenol-ether-sulphuric acid is 
produced, and appears in the urine as an alkali salt; a small quantity of fuchsine is 
also produced, and has been found in the urine. Some aniline may be excreted 
unchanged. 
The symptoms are giddiness, weakness, cyanosis, blueness of the skin, sinking of 
the temperature, and dilatation of the pupil. The pulse is small and frequent, the 
skin moist and cold. The patient smells of aniline. Towards the end coma and con¬ 
vulsions set in. The urine may be brown to brown-black, and may contain hyaline 
cylinders. The blood shows the spectrum of methsemoglobin, and has the peculiarities 
already mentioned. Should the patient recover, jaundice often follows. The out¬ 
ward application of aniline produces eczema. 
Chronic poisoning by aniline is occasionally seen among workers in the manu¬ 
facture of aniline. Headache, loss of muscular power, diminished sensibility of the 
skin, vomiting, loss of appetite, pallor, eruptions on the skin, and general malaise 
are the chief symptoms. The perspiration has been noticed to have a reddish colour. 
Cases of aniline poisoning are not common ; Dr Fred. J. Smith has recorded one 
1 To the nicotine group, gelsemine (C 24 H 28 N 2 0 4 ) and oxalathylin (C 6 H 10 N 2 ) also 
belong, in a physiological sense; but gelsemine, like sparteine, dilates the pupil. 
2 Beitrage zur Tox. des Anilins, Inaug.-Diss., Dorpat, 1888. 
