338  Constituents  of  Gelsemium  Sempervirens.     { ^'"jiJy  ""iSii""*^ 
usual  manner,  using  three  (;r  four  volumes  of  the  liquid  in  two  or 
three  portions. 
The  crystals  obtained  on  evaporation  of  the  ether  are  washed  with 
a  little  absolute  olcohol,  which  readily  dissolves  the  adhering  coloring 
matter.  The  residue  may  l)e  further  purified  by  a  second  extractioa 
by  ether. 
A  very  good  method  of  purifying  the  substance,  especially  from  the 
last  traces  of  the  alkaloid,  is  to  dissolve  it  in  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  parts  of  water,  by  the  aid  of  a  few  drops  of  ammonia,  and  then 
treat  the  clear  sohition  with  diluted  hydrochloric  acid,  added  drop  hy 
drop  until  the  point  of  neutralization  is  almost,  but  not  fully  reached^ 
taking  care  that  the  first  cloudiness  or  precipitate  produced  has  fnWy 
crystallized  i:>efore  adding  another  drop  of  the  acid.  The  crystals  are- 
collected  on  a  small  filter  and  washed  with  a  little  cold  water. 
2.  Gelseinine. — The  liquid  from  which  the  former  principle  was 
extracted  is  gently  warmed  until  the  dissolved  ether  has  been  expelled. 
It  is  then  rendered  slightly  alkaline  by  sodium  hydrate  or  carbonate,, 
and  the  liberated  base  extracted  by  ether,  which  is  allowed  to  evapo- 
rate spontaneously. 
The  impure  alkaloid  thus  obtained  is  dissolved,  by  the  aid  of  a  few 
drops  of  hydrochloric  acid,  in  about  12  cc.  water,  the  solution  filtered^ 
and  the  filtrate  treated  with  a  very  slight  excess  of  sodium  hydrate^ 
when  a  large  portion  of  the  alkaloid  will  separate  as  a  pure  white  pre- 
cipitate. This  is  quickly  collected  on  a  filter  and  washed  with  pure 
water.  The  remaining  portion  of  the  alkaloid  is  extracted  from  the 
filtrate  by  ether  or  chloroform. 
From  the  dried  root  of  the  plant  we  obtained,  after  this  manner,  '25. 
per  cent,  of  gelsemine  and  'oO^per  cent,  (►f  the  acid  principle. 
Is  Gelsemie  Acid  Identical  with  ^Usculinf 
For  the  purpose  of  answering  this  question  various  samples  of  the 
gelsemium  principle  were  examined  comparatively  with  a  sample  of 
(escidin  prepared  by  E.  Merck,  of  Darmstadt.  It  consisted  of  a 
spongy,  sparkling  white  mass  of  minute  (microscopic)  needles  and 
prisms.  On  comparing  it  with  a  somewhat  colored  preparation, 
obtained  from  horse-chr  stnut  bark,  the  substances  presented  essentially 
the  same  properties  in  the  several  respects  examined. 
This  comparative  examination  showed  : 
A.  These  principles  agree  more  or  less  in  the  following  respects: 
9- 
