160 
ON  THE  SOLUBILITY  OF  ALKALOIDS,  ETC. 
A  solution  of  sulphide  of  potassium  decomposes  it  at  212°, 
forming  black  sulphide  of  mercury  and  soluble  santonate  of 
potassa.  A  warm  solution  of  iodide  of  potassium  yields  with  it 
greenish  iodide  of  mercury  and  santonate  of  potassa. 
Exposed  with  alcohol  to  the  temperature  of  boiling  water,  a 
turbidity  is  produced  on  the  addition  of  water,  but  no  precipi- 
tate. Thereby  the  salt  is  distinguished  from  santonin,  which 
under  the  same  circumstances  is  precipitated.  When  treated 
with  diluted  nitric  acid,  protonitrate  of  mercury  is  dissolved  and 
pure  santonin  left  behind. 
Other  acids  show  the  same  behaviour  as  nitric  acid,  and 
alkalies  decompose  it  like  limewater.    (From  the  Italian,  by 
Dr.  John  Muller  of  Berlin  Arch.  d.  Pharm.  Nov.  1859, 
147-149.) 
Note. — The  dose  of  this  preparation  is  not  mentioned,  and  no 
quantitative  analysis  appears  to  have  been  made.       J.  M.  M. 
ON  THE  SOLUBILITY  OF  ALKALOIDS,  ETC.,  IN  CHLOROFORM 
By  A.  Schlimpert. 
But  very  little  is  known  of  the  solubility  of  alkaloids  in  chloro- 
form, which  behaviour  may  frequently  be  employed,  for  instance 
in  detecting  impurities  in  the  more  soluble  alkaloids,  for  separa- 
ting quinia  and  santonin  from  their  preparations,  &c.  It  likewise 
appears  not  impossible  that  chloroform  may  be  employed,  with 
advantage  for  the  preparation  of  some  alkaloids  like  atropia,  and 
some  others  of  the  more  soluble  ones. 
The  alkaloids  were  first  examined  for  their  purity,  shaken 
and  digested  with  chloroform  for  three  hours,  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  64°  F.  The  solution  was  filtered  at  the  same  tempera- 
ture, weighed,  evaporated,  and  the  residue  weighed. 
100  parts  of  chloroform  dissolve  of 
Morphia, 
Acetate  of  morphia, 
Quinia, 
Sulphate  of  quinia, 
Muriate  of  quinia, 
Cinchonia, 
Sulphate  of  cinchonia, 
Chinoidin, 
Veratria, 
1.66  parts. 
1.66  » 
15.—  « 
0.0  " 
11.1  " 
2.50  " 
3.—  " 
25.3  " 
11.6  " 
Atropia, 
Strychnia, 
Nitrate  of  strychnia, 
Caffeina, 
Digitalin, 
Brucia, 
Aconitia, 
Pure  santonin, 
Santonin, 
33.0  parts. 
14.1  " 
6.6  " 
11.—  " 
1.25  " 
14.—  " 
22.  —  " 
23.  —  " 
33.3  " 
