Am'octuri8P87.arm*}     Analysis  of  Aristolochia  Reticulata.  483 
of  an  amber-yellow  color,  aromatic  odor,  and  camphoraceous  taste ; 
sp.  gr..  975  ;  boiling  point,  205°  C. ;  did  not  congeal  after  keeping  at 
— 15°  C.  for  two  hours. 
With  a  solution  of  one  part  bromine,  and  twenty  parts  of  chloroform, 
the  oil  became  colorless ;  with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  deep  brown 
color,  changing  to  red;  .with  fuming  nitric  acid,  reddish-brown.  An 
ethereal  solution  of  bromine  (Prof.  Maisch's  test)  was  decolorized, 
then  the  oil  changed  to  a  greenish,  brown,  blue,  dirty  brown  in 
quantity,  and  purple  iu  thin  layers.  Iodine  caused  a  deep  brown  color 
in  quantity,  but  yellowish-brown  in  layers.  The  reactions,  with 
bromine  and  iodine  were  quiet,  and  afterwards  the  oil  acquired  a  tere- 
binthinate  odor. 
Alkaloid. — This  probably  is  "  the  bitter  principle "  of  Chevallier 
and  Feneulle.  Chevallier  obtained  it,  by  precipitating  the  decoction 
with  acetate  of  lead,  exhausting  the  precipitate  with  hot  alcohol,  evap- 
orating and  treating  the  residue  with  water,  which  dissolved  out  the 
bitter  principle.  Feneulle  found  the  bitter  principle  in  the  filtrate 
from  the  precipitate  occasioned  in  the  decoction,  by  acetate  of  lead.  I 
tried  both  of  these  methods,  and  found  that  Feneulle's  method  was 
the  one  that  separated  the  alkaloid.  For  obtaining  the  alkaloid  five 
pounds  of  the  drug  were  percolated  with  alcohol,  the  tincture  evapora- 
ted, and  the  extract  treated  with  water  slightly  acidulated  with  sul- 
phuric acid.  The  acidulated  filtrate  was  shaken  with  ether  and  the 
ether  separated.  The  aqueous  solution  was  treated  with  gelatin  to 
remove  tannin.  The  filtrate  from  the  tannate  of  gelatin  was  made 
alkaline  and  shaken  successively  with  ether  and  chloroform,  both  of 
which  dissolved  a  yellow  amorphous  body  which  was  made  to  crystal- 
lize by  dissolving  in  ether,  adding  a  few  drops  of  water  and  allow- 
ing it  to  evaporate  over  sulphuric  acid,  when  light-yellow  needle- 
shaped  crystals  were  left,  which  on  being  heated  with  soda  lime, 
evolved  ammonia.  The  crystals  are  inodorous,  very  bitter,  and  are 
soluble  in  water,  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  ether,  chloroform  and  benzol. 
Color  tests. — With  concentrated  H2S04,  a  reddish-brown  color; 
with  fuming  HNOs,  colorless;  with  H2  S04  and  crystal  of  K2Cr407, 
a  brown  color,  changing  to  brownish -green  ;  with  concentrated  H2  S04 
and  HN03,  a  Pmk  color ;  with  concentrated  HO,  a  pink  color,  and 
with  Froehdes'  test,  a  blackish-brown  color.  To  this  alkaloid  I  would 
suggest  the  name  of  aristolochine,  the  bitter  principle  of  serpentaria 
having  been  named  aristolochin  by  Chevallier. 
