PEREIRINE—GELSEMINE. 
§§ 416-418.] 
353 
§ 416. Quebrachine (C 22 H 30 N 2 O 4 ) crystallises in colourless needles, melting- 
point (with partial decomposition) 215°. The crystals are soluble in chloroform, with 
difficulty soluble in cold alcohol, but easily in hot. The alkaloid, treated with sulphuric 
acid and peroxide of lead, strikes a beautiful blue colour. It also gives with sulphuric 
acid and potassic chromate the strychnine colours. Quebrachine, dissolved in sul¬ 
phuric acid containing iron, becomes violet-blue, passing into brown. The alkaloid, 
treated with strong sulphuric acid, becomes brown ; on adding a crystal of potassic 
nitrate, a blue colour is developed ; on now neutralising with caustic soda no red 
coloration is perceived. Dragendorff has studied the best method of extracting 
these alkaloids for toxicological purposes. He recommends extraction of the sub¬ 
stances with sulphuric acid holding water, and shaking up with solvents. Aspido- 
spermine is not extracted by petroleum ether or benzene from an acid watery extract, 
but readily by chloroform or by. amyl alcohol. It is also separated from the same 
solution, alkalised by ammonia, by ether, amyl alcohol, or chloroform ; with difficulty 
by petroleum ether ; some is dissolved by benzene. Quebrachine may be extracted 
from an acid solution by chloroform, but not by petroleum ether. Alkalised by 
ammonia, it dissolves'freely in chloroform and in amyl alcohol. Traces are taken 
up by petroleum, somewhat more by benzene. Aspidospermine is gradually decom¬ 
posed in the body, but quebrachine is more resistant, and has been found in the 
stomach, intestines, blood, and urine. The toxicological action of the bark ranks 
it with the tetanic class of poisons. In this country it does not seem likely to attain 
any importance as a poison. 
4. PEREIRINE. 
§ 417. Pereirine (C 19 H 24 N 2 0)—an amorphous alkaloid from pereira bark—gives 
a play of colours with sulphuric acid and potassic bichromate similar to but not 
identical with that of strychnine. Frdhde’s reagent strikes with it a blue colour. 
On dissolving pereirine in dilute sulphuric acid, and precipitating by gold chloride, 
the precipitate is a beautiful red, which, on standing and warming, is deepened. 
Pereirine may be extracted from an acid solution, after alkalising with ammonia, by 
ether or benzene. 
5. GELSEMINE. 
§ 418. Gelsemine (C 22 H 28 N 2 0 2 ) and gelseminine (C 22 H 24 N 2 0 3 ) are two alkaloids 
which have been separated from Gelsemium sempervirens, the Carolina jessamine, a 
plant having affinities with several natural orders, and placed by JDe Candolle among 
the Loganiacece, by Chapman among the Bubiacece, and by Decaisne among the 
Apocynacece. It grows wild in Virginia and Florida . 1 Gelsemine is a strong base ; 
it is yellowish when impure, but a white amorphous powder when pure. It fuses 
below 100 ° into a transparent vitreous mass, at higher temperatures it condenses on 
glass in minute drops ; its taste is extremely bitter ; it is soluble in 25 parts of ether, 
in chloroform, bisulphide of carbon, benzene, and turpentine ; it is not very 
soluble in alcohol, and still less soluble in water, but it freely dissolves in acidulated 
water. The caustic alkalies precipitate it, the precipitate being insoluble in excess ; 
it is first white, but afterwards brick-red. Tannin, picric acid, iodised potassic iodide, 
platinic chloride, potassio-mercuric iodide, and mercuric chloride all give precipitates. 
Frohde’s reagent gives with gelsemine a brown changing to green. 
Sulphuric acid dissolves gelsemine with a reddish or brownish colour ; after a 
1 The following are its botanical characters :—Calyx five-parted, corolla funnel- 
shaped, five-lobed, somewhat oblique, the lobes almost equal, the posterior being 
innermost in bud ; stamens five ; anthers oblong sagittate, style long and slender ; 
stigmas two, each two-parted, the divisions being linear ; fruit elliptical, flattened 
contrary to the narrow partition, two-celled, septicidally two-valved, the valves 
keeled ; seeds five to six in each cell, large, flat, and winged ; embryo straight in 
fleshy albumen ; the ovate flat, cotyledons much shorter than the slender radicle ; 
stem smooth, twining and shrubby ; leaves opposite, entire, ovate, or lanceolate, 
shining, on short petioles, nearly persistent; flowers large, showy, very fragrant, 
yellow, one to five in the axils of the leaves. 
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