ON  IGASDRIN. 
31 
ON  IGASURIN. 
By  M.  Desnoix. 
If  the  active  properties  of  nux  vomica  have  been  long  known, 
the  same  is  not  true  of  all  the  principles  to  which  these  seeds  owe 
their  properties. 
During  my  residence  at  the  Central  Pharmacy  of  the  Hospitals 
I  have  had,  at  different  times,  to  prepare  strychnia,  and  have 
treated  each  time  about  100  kilogrammes  of  rasped  nux  vomica. 
In  the  course  of  these  operations  I  discovered  a  substance  which  I 
have  called  Igasurin,  Although  this  name  implies  that  it  had  been 
first  noticed  in  the  bean  of  St.  Ignatius,  which  is  called  igasur  in 
the  country  where  it  grows,  I  have  not  changed  it,  because  I  am 
persuaded  that  it  will  be  found  not  only  in  that  seed,  but  also  in 
the  false  angustura,  and  perhaps  other  strychnese. 
Igasurin  is  found  in  the  mother  waters  from  which  the  strych- 
nia and  brucia  have  been  precipitated  by  lime,  at  the  tempera- 
ture of  ebullition. 
Chemical  Properties. — Acids  act  on  igasurin  according  as  they 
are  concentrated  or  dilute.  Concentrated  nitric  acid  reddens  it 
very  strongly,  and  this  color  is  changed  to  violet  on  adding 
chloride  of  tin  in  drops.  It  behaves  therefore  like  brucia  in  this 
respect.  I  have,  however,  remarked,  that  the  color  communicated 
to  igasurin  is  more  intense  than  that  caused  by  brucia,  which  has 
led  me  to  suppose  that  this  property  of  brucia  was  owing  to  the 
presence  of  igasurin.  I  have  endeavored  to  verify  this  supposi- 
tion by  experiment,  but  without  success.  I  think,  nevertheless, 
that  it  will  prove  to  be  correct. 
Sulphuric  acid  causes  first  a  rose  color,  which  afterwards  passes 
to  yellow  and  greenish  yellow,  which  is  also  the  case  with 
brucia. 
Dilute  acids  combine  with  it  and  form  salts  which  in  general 
are  soluble  in  water,  and  crystallize  with  facility,  the  nitrate 
also. 
Potassa,  soda  and  ammonia  precipitate  it  from  its  solutions ; 
if  in  excess,  especially  potassa,  the  precipitated  igasurin  is  redis- 
solved.  Iodide  of  potassium  at  first  causes  no  change  in  a  solu- 
tion of  igasurin,  but  slowly  light  reddish  yellow  crystals  appear 
on  the  sides  of  the  vessel.    Ioduretted  iodide  of  potassium,  on  the 
