NEW  REAGENT  FOR  ALKALOIDS. 
235 
bars  at  present  used  for  this  are  of  steel,  which  is  soon  attacked 
and  destroyed  by  the  sulphate  of  copper  and  other  mineral  sub- 
stances employed  as  mordants  of  colors. — Ohem.  News,  London, 
Jan.  21,  1860,  from  Comptes  Bendus,  Jan.  9,  1860. 
NEW  REAGENT  FOR  ALKALOIDS. 
M.  Schulze  has  observed  that  if  perchloride  of  antimony  be 
added  drop  by  drop  to  a  solution  of  phosphoric  acid,  a  liquid  is 
obtained  which  produces  with  ammoniacal  salts,  and  with  most 
of  the  alkaloids,  precipitates  similar  to  those  which  are  formed 
by  the  phospho-molybdic  acid  of  Sonnenschein  ;  the  following 
are  the  effects  observed  : — 
Strychnine. — Solution  of  the  nitrate  at  L^th  abundant  yellow 
caseous  precipitate;  at  J^th  white  floculent  precipitate;  at 
JL_ th  slight  turbidity. 
25000  to  J 
Brucine. — Solution  of  the  hydrochlorate  at  J_ th  a  rose-col- 
J  1000 
ored  precipitate,  soluble  whilst  warm,  reprecipitated  by  cooling, 
leaving  the  supernatant  liquid  of  a  carmine  red;  at  ^_th  the 
sesquichloride  is  still  troubled,  and  the  liquid  takes  a  rose  tint. 
Quinine. — At  _Lth  flocculent  precipitate  of  a  clearer  color 
than  that  of  strychnine ;  at  JLth  the  liquid  becomes  opalescent. 
Cinchonine. — At  JLth  blue  flocculent  precipitate:  at  JLth 
1000  r         r  9  5000 
slight  turbidity. 
Veratrine. — At  JLth  dirty  white  flocculent  precipitate  ;  at 
JLth  the  liquid  becomes  opalescent. 
Narcotine — At  ^th  copious  yellow  flocculent  precipitate; 
at  J^th  turbidity ;  at  — LQth  a  turbidity  in  the  liquid  is  still  per- 
ceived. 
Morphine. — At  JLth  the  liquid  is  too  dilute  to  produce  a  pre- 
cipitate. 
Codeine.—  At  JLth  the  turbid  liquid  takes  a  dirty  brown  color. 
Nicotine. — At  ith  slight  turbidity  in  the  liquid. 
Coniine. — At  -Lth  liquid  becomes  slightly  opalescent. 
Piperine. — Yellow  coloration  even  in  diluted  liquids. 
Atropine, — At  JLth  caseous  white  precipitate,  soluble  in  the . 
