Am.  .Tnur.  riiarm  ] 
July,  1881.  J 
Alkaloids  of  Piturie. 
355 
the  same  as  those  which  induce  white  people  to  smoke  and  in  certain 
cases  chew  tobacco. 
In  a  letteer  addressed  to  the  author,  Barcm  von  Mueller  gives  the- 
following  account  of  the  alkaloid  obtained  by  him  from  piturie : 
"  For  the  preparation  of  piturina  and  piturie  acid  the  branchlets  and 
and  leaves  of  Duboisia  Ilopivoodii,  F.  v.  M.,  were  subjected  to  exhaus- 
tion by  boiling  water,  the  infusion  evaporated  to  honey  thickness,  then 
mixed  with  three  volumes  of  alcohol,  the  resulting  solution  evaporated 
to  the  consistence  of  an  extract,  the  latter  disssolved  in  water  and  pre- 
cipitated by  basic  acetate  of  lead.  The  precipitate,  separated  by  filtra- 
tion, contained  a  peculiar  acid  substance,  while  the  filtrate,  after  suf!i- 
cient  concentration,  and  after  mixing  with  an  excess  of  caustic  soda, 
solution  and  ether,  yielded  to  the  latter  the  alkaloid  which  was  purified 
by  agitating  its  etherous  solution  with  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  thereby 
forming  the  sulphate  of  piturina.  The  aqueous  solution  of  the  latter 
was  then  again  decomposed  by  caustic  soda,  the  pure  alkaloid  removed 
by  ether,  and  the  solution  evaporated  at  a  gentle  heat.  It  formed  a 
brownish  liquid  of  oil-like  thickness,  heavier  than  water,  of  acrid  and 
burning  taste  and  tobacco  odor,  much  aftecting  the  organs  of  sight  and 
respiration.  It  is  volatile  and  forms  fogs  with  diluted  hydrochloric 
acid,  is  of  strong  alkaline  reaction,  and  combines  thoroughly  witk 
acids. 
Its  hydrochloride  forms  precipitates  with  the  chlorides  of  platinum, 
and  gold,  with  picric  and  tannic  acids,  phosphomolybdate  of  soda^,, 
bi-iodide  of  potassium,  the  iodide  of  potassio-mercury  and  potassio- 
bismuth,  also  with  phospho-wolframate  of  soda,  but  this  precipitate 
is  easily  dissolved  in  an  excess  of  this  reagent.  Piturina  mixes  with 
every  proportion  of  water,  alcohol  and  ether.  Concentrated  hydro- 
cliloric  and  nitric  acids  do  not  effect  a  coloration  with  it;  concen- 
trated sulphuric  acid  forms  reddish-brown  clouds  and  dissolves  to  a 
brownish-green  liquid.  The  yield  was  about  i  per  cent,  of  alkaloids 
from  the  dried  plant. 
"  Piturina  is  in  some  respects  allied  to  nicotina,  but  more  closely 
akin  to  the  duboisina  of  Duboisia  m/yoporoides  (R.  Br.),  the  latter 
being  of  lighter  color,  of  bitter  not  acrid  taste,  of  fainter  odor,  less 
irritating  to  the  eyes  and  respiratory  passages ;  its  hydrochloride  in 
solution  is  not  precipitated  by  chloride  of  platiiuim,  but  is  so  by  phos- 
phowolframate  of  soda,  and  the  precipitate  is  not  redissolved  by  ai 
superabundance  of  that  reagent." 
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