ALKALOIDS OF THE VERATRUMS. 
§ 482 .] 
409 
that there is another active principle in the root, differing from that which 
is in those portions of the tree exposed to the influence of sunlight. 1 
The post-mortem appearances are, so far as known, in no way 
characteristic. 
VII.—The Alkaloids of the Veratrums. 
§ 482. The alkaloids of the veratrums have been investigated by 
Dr Alder Wright, Dr A. P. Luff, Bozetti, Merck, and other chemists. 2 
From the seeds of Veratrum sabadilla, Retz, a white amorphous 
powder has been isolated which constitutes the commercial alkaloid 
veratrine ; it contains at least three alkaloids, viz. Cevadine or crystalline 
veratrine, C 32 H 49 N0 9 , Veratridine or amorphous veratrine, C 37 H 53 NO u , 
and Sabadilline or Gevadilline, C 34 H 53 N0 8 , as well as small quantities of 
Sabadine, C 29 H 51 N0 8 , and Sabadinine, C 27 H 45 N0 8 . 
From V. album and V. viride a number of active principles have 
been isolated. 
The method which Wright and Luff adopted to extract and separate 
the alkaloids from the root of V. album and V. viride essentially con¬ 
sisted in exhausting with alcohol, to which a little tartaric acid' had 
been added, filtering, distilling off the alcohol, dissolving the residue in 
water, alkalising with caustic soda, and shaking up with ether. The 
ethereal solution was next separated, and then washed with water 
containing tartaric acid, so as to obtain a solution of the bases as 
tartrates : in this way the same ether could be used over and over again. 
Ultimately a rough separation was made by means of the different 
solubilities in ether, pseudo-jervine being scarcely soluble in this medium, 
whilst jervine, veratralbine, veratrine, and cevadine are very soluble in it. 
The yield of Wright and Luff’s alkaloids was as follows :— 
TABLE SHOWING THE ALKALOIDS IN THE VERATRUMS. 
V. album. 
Per Kilo. 
V. viride. 
Per Kilo. 
Jervine .... 
1-3 grm. 
•2 grm. 
Pseudo-jervine 
•4 „ 
•15 „ 
Rubi-jervine 
•25 „ 
•02 „ 
Veratralbine.... 
2-2 „ 
Traces. 
Veratrine .... 
05 „ 
Less than -004 grm. 
Cevadine .... 
Absent. 
>> ‘43 ,, 
1 See also a case related by Dr Popham, in which ten children ate laburnum 
seeds ; the pupils were dilated. They all recovered. B. and F. Med. Chir. Review, 
April 1863 ; also a case reported by H. Usher, Med. Times and Gazette, Sept. 15, 1862. 
2 “ The Alkaloids of the Veratrums,” by C. R. Alder Wright, D.Sc., and A. P. 
Luff, Journ. Chem. Soc., July 1879 ; “ The Alkaloids of Veratrum viride by 
C. R. Alder Wright, D.Sc., ibid., 1879 ; Bozetti, Arch. Pharm., ccxxi. 81 ; Merck, 
ibid., ccxxix. 104. 
