174 
NEW  CINCHONA  ALKALOID. 
the  sulphate  of  beta-oinohonine  are  deposited.  These  are  a  lit- 
tle colored,  but  may  be  purified  in  the  usual  way.  By  dissolv- 
ing the  sulphate  in  acidulated  water,  precipitating  by  ammonia, 
and  crystallizingflfrom  alcohol,  the  pure  alkaloid  is  obtained  in 
right  rhombic  prisms. 
Beta-cinchonine  C2oHj2NO  is  anhydrous,  and  fuses  at  150°  0  ; 
on  cooling  it  becomes  a  radiated  mass ;  it  is  not  volatile,  and 
burns  with  a  smoky  flame.  It  is  easily  distinguished  from  the 
other  cinchona  alkaloids  by  its  crystalline  form,  chemical  pro- 
perties, and  particularly  by  its  solubility. 
The  author  gives  the  following  table  of  the  solubility  of  the 
cinchona  alkaloids  in  dilferent  menstrua  : — 
£t  Quinine.  0  Quinine,  a  Cinchonine.  /?  Cinchonine. 
Cold  water      .  400  parts    15,000    insoluble  insoluble. 
Boiling  water  . 
200 
750 
2500 
slightly  sol. 
Cold  alcohol 
2 
u 
45 
173 
Boiling  alcohol  . 
2 
ii 
3-7 
30 
43 
Ether    .  . 
60 
90 
insoluble 
378 
Chloroform 
6 
40 
268 
Fatty  oils  dissolve  beta-cinchonine.  The  alcoholic  solution 
turns  the  plane  of  polarization  to  the  right.  The  following  are 
the  chemical  reactions  of  salts  of  the  new  alkaloid: — Chloride 
of  gold  gives  a  sulphur  yellow  precipitate  ;  bichloride  of  mercu- 
ry gives  a  white  precipitate,  which  soon  becomes  resinous  ; 
bichloride  of  platinum  an  orange  yellow  precipitate  soluble  in 
much  water;  iodated  water  a  red  brown  bromated  alcohol  a  yellow 
precipitate ;  picric  and  phospho-molybdic  acids  a  yellow  precipi- 
tate. With  chlorine  and  ammonia  the  solution  becomes  yellow. 
Gallic  acid  gives  a  yellowish  white  precipitate ;  and  prussiate  of 
potash  gives  a  rose  coloration,  as  with  the  solutions  of  quinine, 
cinchonine,  and  quinoidine.  The  author  has  not  succeeded  in  ob- 
taining neutral  salts  with  beta-cinchonine  ;  all  are  basic.  The  sul- 
phate crystallizes  in  prisms  with  a  rhombic  base ;  it  is  insolu- 
ble in  ether,  but  soluble  in  alcohol  and  water.  The  hydrocblo- 
rate  crystallizes  with  4  equivalents  of  water  in  prisms  which  are 
slightly  soluble  in  ether.  With  bichloride  of  mercury  they  form 
an  amorphous  double  salt.  With  bichloride  of  platinum  they 
form  six-sided  rhomboidal  prisms.    Iodine  gives  with  the  sxil- 
