368 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Mediea. 
f  Am.. I  our.  Pharm. 
\      July, 1882. 
of  a  violet  color,  and  this  is  more  intense  in  the  presence  of  molybdic 
acid. 
Quebrachine,  CgiHjgNgOg,  crystallizes  as  hydrochlorate  from  its  solu- 
tion with  aspidospermine.  The  alkaloid  forms  delicate  colorless 
needles,  which  slowly  turn  yellow  in  sunlight.  It  dissolves  freely  iu 
boiling  and  little  in  cold  alcohol,  is  slightly  soluble  in  ether  and  lig- 
roin  and  easily  soluble  in  chloroform.  It  is  dextrogyre,  strongly  basic 
and  bitter,  and  is  not  colored  by  ferric  chloride.  The  solution  in  per- 
chloric acid  becomes  yellow  upon  heating;  that  in  sulphuric  acid 
becomes  bluish  in  a  few  minutes  and  of  a  splendid  blue  color  on  the 
addition  of  lead  peroxide,  molybdic  acid  or  potassium  bichromate,  the 
color  with  the  chrominum  salt  passing  after  some  time  to  red-brown. 
The  salts  are  crystallizable.  The  neutral  sulphate,  (C2iH26N203)2 
SO^Hj  +  SHjO,  forms  large  cubes  or  short  prisms,  is  freely  soluble  in 
boiling  water,  but  with  difficulty  in  alcohol.  The  neutral  oxalate  is 
in  needles,  anhydrous  and  extremely  insoluble  in  alcohol  and  water. 
The  neutral  tartrate  contains  6H2O,  forms  satiny  tables  and  scales  and 
is  freely  soluble  in  cold  water,  but  slightly  so  in  alcohol.  The  bibasic 
citrate  and  the  hydrochlorate  are  sparingly  soluble  in  cold  water  and 
alcohol,  but  more  freely  in  hot  water.  The  hydriodate  is  resinous, 
uncrystallizable  and  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  water. 
Quebrachamine  was  observed  once  in  the  alcoholic  mother  liquor, 
from  the  purification  of  aspidospermine  and  crystallized  from  the  solu- 
tion in  hot  alcohol,  mixed  with  a  little  hot  water.  The  colorless  satiny 
scales  melt  at  142°C.,  dissolve  freely  in  alcohol,  benzol,  chloroform 
and  ether,  have  a  basic  reaction,  and  an  intensely  bitter  taste.  The 
alkaloid  dissolves  in  caustic  alkalies,  is  not  colored  by  ferric  chloride 
and  dissolves  in  sulphuric  acid  with  a  blueish  color,  and  dark  violet  in 
the  presence  of  molybdic  acid  or  potassium  bichromate.  The  solution 
in  perchloric  acid,  upon  boiling,  becomes  yellowish,  then  yellowish-red 
and  on  cooling,  turbid. 
The  six  alkaloids  in  doses  of  0*01  to  0*02  gm.  produce  in  frogs 
paralysis  of  the  motor  apparatus,  first  of  the  respiratory .  muscles,  as 
well  as  the  other  muscles  of  the  system,  whilst  the  sensibility  remains 
intact  for  a  long  time.  Four  alkaloids  (hypoquebrachine  and  que- 
brachamine were  not  tested)  produce  in  frogs  quickly  an  increasingly 
important  slackening  and  finally  a  cessation  of  the  heart-beats. 
On  exhausting  the  powdered  bark  with  ether,  chloroform  or  petro- 
leum benzin,  evaporating  the  solvent  and  treating  the  smeary  residue 
