392 
ON  SOME  POINTS  OF  CHEMICAL  THEORY,  ETC. 
has  already  been  made  by  Hofmann  to  form  quinia  from  quino- 
line, a  principle  found  in  coal-tar.  Quinoline  is  a  volatile  oily 
base,  which  is  likewise  obtained  from  quinia  and  the  other  alkalies 
of  Peruvian  bark,  as  also  from  strychnia,  when  these  substances 
are  severally  heated  with  caustic  potassa.  Here  we  have  a  case 
of  transformation  under  the  influence  of  potassa,  which  consists 
in  reducing  a  complex  molecule  to  a  more  simple  one;  but  the 
converse  reaction,  which  would  imply  the  power  of  converting 
quinoline  into  quinia,  &c,  is  quite  a  different  thing,  and  much 
more  difficult  to  accomplish.  The  recent  researches  of  Wohler, 
Blyth  and  Anderson  have  shown  that  narcotin,  acted  on  by  the 
deutoxide  of  manganese  and  sulphuric  acid,  is  susceptible  of 
numerous  transformations,  which  throw  a  valuable  light  on  the 
true  constitution  of  the  natural  organic  alkalies.  Methylamine 
has  been  found  among  the  products  of  the  decomposition  of 
morphia,  codeia  and  caffein,  and  probably  forms  a  constituent 
of  these  substances.  By  the  action  of  nitric  acid,  brucia  yields 
several  products,  among  which  is  methyl,  a  fact  which  renders 
it  probable  that  this  radical  pre-exists  in  it.  These  and  similar 
facts  lead  to  the  conclusion,  that  chemists  are  on  the  eve  of  dis- 
covering a  method  of  producing  artificially  some  of  the  natural 
organic  alkalies. 
Should  our  hopes,  in  this  respect,  be  disappointed,  still  it  is 
highly  probable  that  the  artificial  organic  alkalies,  the  number 
of  which  is  rapidly  increasing  by  new  discoveries,  will  furnish 
the  physician  with  some  valuable  remedies.  Already  furfurine, 
in  the  form  of  nitrate,  has  been  used  as  an  antiperiodic.  It  is 
bitter,  like  quinia,  and  approaches,  in  composition,  to  several  of 
the  natural  organic  alkalies.  For  its  discovery  we  are  indebted 
to  Fownes.  Amarine,  another  artificial  alkali,  would  probably 
prove  an  active  remedy,  and  deserves  a  fair  trial. 
Within  a  recent  period,  the  chemist  has  presented  us  with 
several  principles,  extracted  from  plants,  which  have  proved  to 
be  more  or  less  febrifuge.  In  proof  of  this  it  is  only  necessary 
to  call  attention  to  salicin,  phloridzin,  and  picrolichenin,  all  of 
which,  upon  trial,  have  been  found  to  be  efficacious  in  arresting 
fever.  At  this  time,  particularly,  this  class  of  vegetable  princi- 
ples deserves  to  be  studied  in  relation  to  their  therapeutic 
applications ;  as  a  well-founded  fear  is  entertained  that  the 
