108  Solnine. — Pilocarpine  Hydrochloride.  {AFebJruaryT?897na' 
SOLNINE  NOTE. 
By  John  Uri  Lxoyd. 
The  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  April,  1894,  contained  a 
paper  from  my  pen  concerning  the  alkaloid  of  Solatium  Caroli- 
nense.  To  this  alkaloid  I  ventured  to  affix  the  name  Solnine,  "  in 
order  to  give  it  an  existence  in  literature."  I  also  stated  that 
"  having  never  made  a  study  of  Solanine,  I  am  not  prepared  to  de- 
cide concerning  the  identity  of  Solnine  and  that  substance.  If  Witt- 
stein's  description  of  Solanine  is  correct,  they  are  different."  After- 
ward (September,  1895)  a  determination  was  accurately  made  of  the 
melting  point  of  crystallized  solnine.  This,  together  with  the 
characteristics  noted  in  the  paper  of  April,  1895,  mav  be  sa^  to 
fairly  establish  that  Solnine  is  not  the  same  as  Solanine. 
Melting  point  of  Solnine  127*2°  C. 
Melting  point  of  Solanine  (as  per  current  literature)   .  .  .  .  235*0°  C. 
A  fresh  supply  of  Solnine  is  now  in  process,  and  then  I  hope  to 
supply  combustion  figures. 
PILOCARPINE  HYDROCHLORIDE.1 
By  Dr.  B.  H.  Paul  and  A.  J.  Cownuy. 
In  the  last  issue  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  the  United  States  of 
America  an  addition  was  made  to  the  characters  of  this  salt  by  giv- 
ing the  melting  point  as  1970  C,  and  an  American  journal  has  re- 
cently expressed  the  opinion  that  an  observation  of  the  melting 
point  is  the  best  means  of  ascertaining  the  purity  of  the  salt  met 
with  in  commerce.  It  might  therefore  be  inferred  that  the  hydro- 
chloride has  in  that  respect  an  advantage  over  the  nitrate,  some 
samples  of  which  we  have  shown  differ  considerably  in  the  melting 
point.  The  question,  however,  is  not  so  much  as  to  the  purity  of 
any  particular  salt,  but  whether  the  alkaloid  obtained  from  jabor- 
andi  consists  of  more  than  one  chemical  individual.  The  results 
already  described  by  us2  point  to  the  probability  that  the  salts  met 
with  in  commerce  under  the  name  of  pilocarpine  nitrate  do  contain 
more  than  one  base,  and  there  is  consequently  some  uncertainty  as 
to  which  of  those  bases  has  the  medicinal  action  peculiar  to 
jaborandi. 
1  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  November  21,  1896. 
2 Pharm.  Jour.,  1896,  p.  1.    Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1896,  p.  445. 
