Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1889. 
Alkaloids  of  the  Areca  Nut. 
193 
ble  weak  saline  taste.  At  100°  C,  arecaine  loses  its  water  of  crystal- 
lization, melts  with  frothing  at  213°  C,  and  carbonizes  when  more 
strongly  heated.  In  a  solution  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid  potas- 
sium-bismuth iodide  produces  an  amorphous  red  precipitate  that  very 
quickly  becomes  crystalline.  Potassium-mercury  iodide  is  far  less 
delicate ;  it  does  not  precipitate  the  (neutral)  solution  of  the  free  alka- 
loid, but  if  this  be  acidified  the  double  salt  separates  in  yellow  needles, 
or  at  first  as  an  oily  precipitate  that  quickly  crystallizes.  Potassium 
iodide  also  fails  to  affect  a  neutral  solution,  but  upon  acid  being 
added  dark-colored  needles  separate.  Phosphomolybdic  acid,  as  well 
as  tannic  acid,  give  a  slight  turbidity ;  picric  acid  gives  no  precipitate, 
and  gold  chloride  and  platinic  chloride  precipitate  crystalline  double 
salts  from  solutions  that  are  not  too  dilute. 
Arecaine  combines  with  acids  to  form  crystalline  salts,  having  an 
acid  reaction,  freely  soluble  in  water  and  less  soluble  in  alcohol. 
In  respect  to  its  properties  arecaine  comes  near  to  trigonelline 
(methylnicotinic  acid),  from  fsenugreek,  and  probably  resembles  it  in 
being  a  betaine-like  body.  Further  experiments  in  this  direction 
could  not,  however,  be  carried  out  for  want  of  material.  Like  betaine, 
arecaine  has  proved  inert  in  experiments  upon  animals. 
The  third  areca  alkaloid  mentioned  could  not  be  closely  examined, 
since  the  small  quantity  at  disposal  was  not  sufficient  for  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  pure  compound.  It  was  amorphous,  easily  soluble  in 
water,  alcohol  and  chloroform,  difficultly  soluble  in  ether,  and 
had  a  strongly  alkaline  reaction.  The  platinum  double  salt  crystal- 
lized in  flat  prisms  or  tables. 
PHYSIOLOGICAL  ACTION  OF  ARECOLINE. 
The  investigation  of  the  physiological  action  of  arecoline  has  been 
carried  out  by  Dr.  Marme  of  Gottingen,1  who  used  for  this  purpose 
the  hydrobromide  and  the  hydrochloride,  of  which  subcutaneous  or 
intravenous  injections  were  made,  or  sometimes  the  solution  was 
applied  to  the  conjunction  of  the  eye.  It  was  found  that  full-grown 
rabbits  died  within  a  few  minutes  after  the  subcutaneous  injection  of 
25  to  50  milligrams,  but  recovered  after  10  milligrams.  Cats  suc- 
cumbed after  administration  similarly  of  10  to  20  milligrams;  only  the 
course  of  the  poisoning  was  somewhat  more  prolonged.    Dogs,  even 
1  Pharmaceulische  Zeitung,  February  9,  p.  97. 
