352 poisons: their effects and detection. [§§413-415. 
at from 169°-221° ; brucine at these temperatures is mostly destroyed. 
The sublimate, if not crystalline, may be made crystalline by treating with 
a little weak ammonia water. 
In regard to the separation of brucine from organic fluids or tissues, 
the process already detailed for strychnine suffices. It is of very great 
importance to ascertain whether both strychnine and brucine are present 
or not—the presence of both pointing to nux vomica or one of its pre¬ 
parations. The presence of brucine may, of course, be owing to impure 
strychnine ; but if found in the tissues, that solution of the question is 
improbable, the commercial strychnine of the present day being usually 
pure, or at the most containing so small a quantity of brucine as would 
hardly be separated from the tissues. 
2. PUKATEINE. 
§ 413. Pukateine (C 17 H 17 0 3 N) is an alkaloid isolated in a crystalline state by B. C. 
Ashton 1 from the bark of the Pukatea ( Laurelia Novce-Zealandice), a tree common in 
the northern parts of New Zealand. The bark apparently contains two other alkaloids, 
which have been only isolated in an amorphous condition, although the salts of one of 
them, laureline, have been crystallised. 
Pukateine is white, crystalline, m.-p. 200°, insoluble in water, slightly soluble in 
petroleum, and fairly soluble in absolute alcohol, ether, and chloroform. It is very 
soluble in pyridine. Pukateine is precipitated by a slight excess of acetic acid ; from 
its solution in alkali hydroxides it can be precipitated by passing a current of carbon 
dioxide to saturation. The general alkaloidal reagents, e.g. iodine in potassium iodide, 
Mayer’s reagent, picric acid, gold and platinum chlorides, all give precipitates. In 
alcohol solution it is lsevo-rotatory, —220°. It gives a reaction with sulphuric acid 
and potassic dichromate, a little like strychnine, giving a purple colour; but whereas 
the strychnine colour is first violet, then purple, and lastly red, the purple of pukateine 
persists, besides which, in excess of the reagent pukateine becomes green. A solution 
of pukateine in alkali hydroxide in a test tube in a few hours becomes green ; on acidi¬ 
fying the green solution with hydrochloric acid and extracting with ether a purple 
ethereal layer results. 
The above tests and characters should be sufficient to identify the alkaloid. 
The constitution of pukateine is at present not known, but it contains no methoxy 
groups, and on heating with soda-lime or zinc no odour of pyridine or quinoline could 
be detected. Pukateine has a local action on the tongue and lips similar to that of 
aconitine ; it has also apparently a strychnine-like character, large doses (0-25 grm. 
per kilo.) causing convulsions. On intravenous injection into animals, death results 
from respiratory failure with great suddenness. 
3. THE QUEBRACHO GROUP OF ALKALOIDS. 
§ 414. The bark of the Quebracho Blanco 2 ( Aspidosperma quebracho) contains, 
according to Hess’s researches, no fewer than six alkaloids—Quebracliine, Aspido- 
spermine, Aspidospermatine, Aspidosamine, and Hypoquebrachine. The more im¬ 
portant of these are Aspidospermine and Quebrachine. 
§ 415. Aspidospermine (C 22 H 30 N 2 O 2 ) forms colourless needles which melt at 
206°. They dissolve in about 6000 parts of water at 14°, 48 parts of 90 per cent, 
alcohol, and 106 parts of pure ether. The alkaloid gives a fine magenta colour with 
perchloric acid. 
1 J. Chem. Soc., 1910. 
2 See Liebig’s Annal., ccxi. 249-282 ; Ber. der deutsch. chem. Gesellsch., xi. 2189, 
xii. 1560. 
