618 
Alkaloids  f 7' om  Nux  Vomica. 
f  Am.. lour.  Pharm. 
t       Dec,  1881. 
ters :  They  were  not  reddened  by  nitric  acid,  but  dissolved  to  a  pale 
bright  yellow  liquid ;  if  strong  acid  is  used,  this  on  dilution  gives  no 
further  result  with  stannous  chloride  than  decolorization,  but  if  boiled 
with  dilute  nitric  acid  the  solution  gives  a  wine-red  coloration  on 
addition  of  stannous  chloride,  much  fainter,  however,  than  that  given 
by  brucine  when  similarly  treated.  On  exposure  of  an  ammoniacal 
solution  to  the  air  for  a  few  hours  it  acquires  a  purple  color,  which 
becomes  green  later,  but  is  changed  to  purple  again  by  dilution ;  on 
adding  an  acid  to  this  a  fine  deep  green  is  developed.  Bromine  water 
added  gradually  produces  a  precipitate ;  if,  when  excess  has  been 
added,  heat  is  applied,  tlie  color  due  to  bromine  gradually  goes  till 
the  boiling  point  is  reached,  there  is  then  suddenly  developed  a  fine 
magenta-red,  which  is  destroyed  by  stannous  chloride,  but  is  perma- 
nent for  several  days  at  least  in  air.  Brucine,  similarly  treated,  gives 
first  a  very  transient  pink,  no  precipitate,  and  finally,  on  boiling  well, 
develops  a  lighter  shade  of  same  red  color,  the  two  actions  being  quite 
distinguishable. 
It  contains  nitrogen,  and  gives  a  gold  salt,  which  undergoes  reduc- 
tion almost  at  once,  and  a  platinum  salt,  which,  though  more  stable^ 
is  not  sufficiently  so  for  analysis.  This  platinum  salt  is  rather  soluble 
in  Avater,  and  the  mother-liquor  deposited  handsome  red  microscopic 
crystals,  which  were  seen  to  contain  here  and  there  a  few  small  pale 
yellow  crystals.  All  attempts  to  obtain  crystalline  salts  of  it  by  solu- 
tion in  acids  failed,  only  yellow  varnishes  being  produced,  which 
quickly  underwent  oxidation  on  exposure.  I  was  unable  to  attempt 
to  prepare  any  salts  by  methods  of  precipitation  for  want  of  material. 
Portions  were  dried  at  100°C.,  and  analyzed: 
Theory  for  Fouiid. 
C,3H,sN205     ,  >  Mean. 
C,3            .                 276          66-99  66-01       65-95  65*98 
Hog     .             .      '     28           6-80  7-16        6-91  7-03 
.  .     28  6-80   
O5       .  .  80         19 --11   
These  numbers  and  the  general  character  of  the  body  show  it  to  be 
of  similar  nature  to  those  produced  by  the  action  of  baryta-water  on 
strychnine,  viz.,  that  it  is  a  hydrobrucine,  CsgHggNgOg,  formed  by  addi- 
tion of  1  molecule  of  water  to  each  molecule  of  the  alkaloid.  This  is,, 
to  some  extent,  confirmed  by  the  action  of  dehydrating  agents  upon  it. 
When,  after  dissolving  in  strong  nitric  acid  and  diluting,  stannous 
chloride  is  added,  complete  decolorization  ensues ;  but  if  the  alkaloid 
