412 POISONS : THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§§ 484 - 486 . 
The Continental authorities always give to cevadine the name 
of veratrine. Cevadine forms a crystalline aurochloride, a crystal¬ 
line mercurochloride, C 32 H 49 N0 9 HHgCl 3 , and a crystalline picrate, 
C 32 H 49 N0 9 C 6 H 3 N 8 0 7 . The mercury salt crystallises in small silvery 
plates, and melts with decomposition at 172°. The picrate forms stable 
crystals blackening at 225° ; both of the latter salts are but little soluble 
in water, but are soluble in alcohol. Cevadine also unites with bromine, 
forming a tetrabromide, an amorphous yellow powder insoluble in water 
but readily soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform. 
§ 484. Jervine, C 26 H 37 N0 3 2H 2 0 (Wright and Luff), C 14 H 22 N0 2 
(PehJcschen), 1 crystallises in white needles, and, when anhydrous, melts 
at 237*7°. It is slightly lsevo-rotatory. At 25° one part of the base 
dissolves in 1658 benzene, 268 ether, 60 chloroform, and 16*8 absolute 
alcohol. It is insoluble in light petroleum, and but slightly soluble in 
ethyl acetate, water, or carbon bisulphide. It forms a very insoluble 
sulphate, and a sparingly soluble nitrate and hydrochloride. Jervine 
gives, with sulphuric acid and sugar, a violet colour, passing to blue. 
Treated with strong sulphuric acid it dissolves to a yellow fluid, which 
becomes successively dark yellow, brownish-yellow, and then greenish. 
The green shade is immediately developed by diluting with water. 
Jervine does not produce sneezing. 
§ 485. Pseudo-jervine, C 29 H 43 N0 7 (Wright), m.p. 299°; C 29 H 49 N0 12 , 
m.p. 259° ( PehJcschen ), may be obtained in a crystalline state. One part 
is soluble in 10*9 parts of light petroleum, 372 parts of benzene, 1021 
parts of ether, 4 of chloroform, and 185 of absolute alcohol. The pure 
base gives no colour with sulphuric, nitric, or hydrochloric acids. It 
does not produce sneezing. 
§ 486. Protoveratridine, C 26 H 45 N0 8 , is probably derived from proto- 
veratrine. Salzberger 2 isolated it from powdered veratrum roots by 
treating the powder with barium hydroxide and water, and extracting 
with ether. The ether extract was separated and freed from ether in a 
current of hydrogen at a low temperature. 
From the dark green syrup obtained jervine crystallised out, and from 
the mother-liquor ultimately protoveratridine was separated. 
Protoveratridine crystallises in colourless four-sided plates, which melt 
at 265°. It is almost insoluble in alcohol, chloroform, methyl alcohol, 
and acetone, and insoluble in benzene, light petroleum, and ether. Con¬ 
centrated sulphuric acid gives a violet, then a cherry-red colour. Its 
solution in concentrated hydrochloric acid becomes light red on warming, 
and there is an odour of isobutyric acid. It is readily soluble in dilute 
mineral acid, and the solution, on the addition of ammonia, yields the 
alkaloid in a crystalline condition. The sulphuric acid solution gives 
precipitates with phosphotungstic, picric, and tannic acids, and with 
1 Journ. Pharm. (5), xxii. 265-269. 2 Arch. Pharm., ccxxviii. 462-483. 
