Am.  Jeur.  Pli&rm.  \ 
Mar.,  1881.  J 
Aust7'alian  Alstonia  Bark. 
117 
purpose  the  mixture  was  dissolved  in  a  small  amount  of  boiling  alco- 
Jiol  and  so  much  dilute  sulphuric  acid  added  that  the  solution  percepti- 
bly reddened  blue  litmus  paper.  Upon  cooling,  the  sulphate  of  the 
new  alkaloid  crystallized  out,  which  was  again  dissolved  in  hot  dilute 
alcohol  and  decomposed  by  ammonia.  On  cooling,  the  alkaloid  alsto- 
nidina  crystallized  in  colorless,  concentrically  grouped  needles.  It 
dissolves  readily  in  chloroform,  ether,  strong  alcohol  and  acetone,  and 
crystallizes  on  the  evaporation  of  the  solvent ;  it  dissolves  also  readily 
in  hot  dilute  alcohol,  and  crystallizes  therefrom,  upon  cooling,  in  color- 
less needles.  The  alcoholic  solution  has  a  feeble  alkaline  reaction  and 
an  intensely  bitter  taste ;  it  shows  a  blue  fluorescence,  which,  upon 
dilution  with  water,  increases  in  intensity.  The  solution  of  alstoni- 
dina  in  dilute  acids  also  displays  an  intense  blue  fluorescence.  Ammo- 
nia and  caustic  soda  produce  in  the  latter  solutions  white,  flocculent 
precipitates,  which  soon  become  crystalline.  Alstonidina  melts  at 
181°C.  (uncorr.) 
It  produces  in  alcoholic  solution  no  coloration  with  ferric  chloride ; 
pure  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  and  that  containing  molybdic  acid, 
;as  also  concentrated  nitric  acid,  dissolve  the  alkaloid  without 
;any  special  coloration,  but  on  diluting  with  water  a  strong 
blue  fluorescence  appears.  Concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  with  a 
little  powdered  potassium  bichromate,  dissolves  the  alkaloid  with 
.a  blue-green  color,  fading  after  a  short  time,  but  again  appear- 
ing with  its  former  intensity  on  agitation.  This  color  may  be 
made  to  appear  and  disappear  repeatedly,  until  finally,  even  after 
agitation,  merely  a  greenish  color  remains.  Alstonidina  forms  salts, 
some  of  which  crystallize  very  readily.  The  sulphate,  previously 
mentioned,  forms  colorless  needles,  crystallizing  readily  from  hot  water; 
the  hydroehlorate  crystallizes  in  magnificent  long  needles,  which  dis- 
solve readily  in  water  and  alcohol ;  the  hydriodate  crystallizes  in 
small,  colorless,  stellately  grouped  needles;  the  sulphocyanate  forms 
white  needles,  which  are  very  sparingly  soluble  in  water ;  the  platinum 
salt  is  obtained  as  a  yellow,  flocculent  precipitate,  which  dissolves  to 
some  extent  in  boiling  water ;  the  gold  salt  also  forms  a  flocculent  pre- 
cipitate, while  the  mercuriG  chloride  salt  crystallizes  in  colorless  nee- 
dles, which  are  rather  freely  soluble,  particularly  in  hot  water  The 
hydrochloric  acid  solution  of  alstonidina  yields,  with  solution  of 
potassium  bichromate,  at  once  a  yellow,  flocculent  precipitate,  while 
with  porphyrina,  by  the  same  reagent,  a  blood  red  color  is  produced.  The 
