4 
156  Propionylquinia.  | 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1881. 
with  water  they  would  merely  swell  up  and  be  transformed  into  trans- 
parent globules  again. 
These  experiments  show  that  they  are  analogous  to  and  doubtless 
identical  with  gummic  acid,  which  seems  to  pre-exist  in  the  gum,  in 
the  free  state,  and  in  the  mucilage  is  held  in  suspension,  while  from  a 
dilute  aqueous  solution  it  separates  as  colorless  globules. 
^Numerous  expedients  have  been  tried  to  prevent  this  precipitation, 
and  the  only  one  found  successful  was  to  carefully  add,  before  strain- 
ing, to  one-half  of  the  mucilage  sufficient  solution  of  caustic  potassa 
\o  make  it  very  slightly  alkaline,  then  add  the  other  half  of  the  rnuci- 
lage  and  shake  the  mixture  well,  which  should  now  have  a  slight  acid 
reaction.  After  it  has  stood  a  little  while  it  can  be  strained  without 
loss,  and  may  be  mixed  with  water  and  otherwise  used  like  that  pre- 
pared from  Kordofan  gum. 
Five  grams  of  the  gum  were  incinerated  and  yielded  '19  gram  of 
ash,  equal  to  3*8  per  cent.  Analysis  showed  the  presence  of  calcium, 
magnesium  and  potassium. 
Propionylquinia,  C2oH22(ChH50)^s'202,  is  a  new  base  obtained  by 
O.  Hesse  by  treating  quinia  hydrochlorate  for  several  hours  with 
propionic  anhydride  at  a  temperature  of  60  to  80°C.,  adding  a  little 
water,  evaporating,  dissolving  the  residue  in  water,  adding  ammonia 
ill  excess,  and  agitating  with  ether.  On  evaporating  the  etherial  solu- 
tion prisms  are  obtained  imbedded  in  a  tough  mass,  the  latter  being 
absorbed  by  filtering  paper,  which  is  occasinally  moistened  with  ether, 
and  finally  by  bibulous  paper  moistened  with  alcohol. 
Propionylquinia  forms  colorless  hexagonal  prisms  of  the  rh(>mbic 
system,  melts  at  129°C.  (uncorr.),  and  is  rather  freely  soluble  in  ether, 
alcohol  and  chloroform,  but  with  difficulty  in  water.  The  alcoholic 
solution  is  bitter,  strongly  alkaline,  yields  quinia  and  propionic  acid 
on  being  boiled  with  potassa,  and  becomes  intensely  green  on  the  addi- 
tion of  chlorine  and  ammonia.  The  alkaloid  is  Isevogyre,  in  water 
with  3HC1 — 108*8°;  its  solution  in  dilute  sulphuric  acid  shows  blue 
fluorescence. 
The  tough  amorphous  compound  mentioned  above  is  mainly  pro- 
pionylquinia, and  on  saponification  yields  only  quinia.  Not  a  trace  of 
a  quinicia  derivative  is  obtained. — Reprint  from  Annal.  d.  Chemie, 
vol.  205,  p.  358. 
