.'Am  Jour.  Pnarm. ) 
July,  1881.  J 
Alkaloids  of  Piturie. 
355 
gen,  the  heat  meanwhile  being  raised  gradually  until  it  reached 
140°C.,  a  bath  of  sulphuric  acid  being  used  for  this  purpose.  It 
was  allowed  remain  at  this  temperature  for  a])Out  six  hours ;  the 
bath  w^as  then  removed,  and  the  distillation  continued  at  a  still  higher 
temperature  over  a  naked  flame,  the  current  of  hydrogen  being 
still  maintained,  until  all  the  alkaloid,  with  the  exception  of  a  very 
small  quantity,  which  had  l^ecome  charred,  had  j)^ssed  over  in  a 
clear  and  colorless  condition.  During  the  distillation  the  thermo- 
meter indicated  a  temperature  between  243°  and  244°C. 
Sixty  grams  of  the  substance  gave  '622  gram  of  the  alkaloid,  or 
1*037  per  cent.  In  this  case  the  alkaloid  was  not  allowed  to  boil, 
but  was  maintained  at  a  temperature  of  140°C.  in  a  current  of 
liydrogen  for  several  hours,  to  remove  water  and  traces  of  ammonia. 
In  a  second  experiment  500  grams  of  the  piturie  gave  12*34  grams 
of  alkaloid,  or  2*47  per  cent.,  when  distilled  in  a  current  of  hydro- 
gen.   The  piturie  did  not  contain  any  non-volatile  alkaloid. 
The  alkaloid  when  freshly  prepared  is  clear  and  colorless,  but  with 
access  of  air  rapidly  becomes  yellow^,  and  finally  brown,  especially 
when  exposed  to  the  sunlight.  In  a  sealed  tube  one  specimen  remained 
unchanged  during  eight  months.  It  is  soluble,  in  all  proportions,  in 
water,  alcohol  and  ether,  yielding  colorless  solutions.  On  paper  it  pro- 
duces a  greasy  stain,  which  disappears  after  a  time.  It  is  just  a  little 
heavier  than  water,  a  drop  of  it  sinking  slowly  to  the  bottom  of  a  ves- 
sel of  distilled  water.  When  freshly  pre23ared  its  smeil  is  very  like 
that  of  nicotina;  afterwards,  when  darkened  in  color  and  thickened  in 
consistency,  the  odor  is  more  like  that  of  pyriclina.  It  is  volatile  at 
ordinary  temperatures,  its  vai)or  forming  a  dense  fog  with  hydro- 
chloric acid.  Its  vapor  irritates  the  mucous  membranes  very  much, 
and  when  working  with  it  induced  violent  headaches.  The  taste  is 
acrid  and  pungent,  and  very  persistent. 
The  alkaloid  neutralizes  acids  completely ;  but  the  neutral  solutions 
of  acetate,  sulphate  and  hydrochloride  all  become  acid  on  evaporation 
from  the  loss  of  alkaloid.  Oxalic  acid  is  the  only  acid  which  yields  a 
crystalline  salt;  but  this  is  more  or  less  mixed  with  free  acid,  from  the 
loss  of  alkaloid  by  volatilization,  an  acid  salt  mixed  with  free  oxalic 
acid  being  left.  The  acetate,  sulphate  and  hydrochloride,  when  kept 
over  strong  sulphuric  acid,  dry  up  into  hard,  brittle,  transparent,  var- 
.nish-like  substances,  without  the  slightest  trace  of  crystallization,  even 
