308 
ON  THE  ERGOT  OF  INDIAN  CORN. 
vial  filled  to  the  top  with  chlorohydric  acid  suspended  in  it. 
Some  liquor  potassae  was  then  added  and  stirred  in  the  retort, 
and  a  gentle  heat  applied ;  dense  cloudiness  very  soon  appeared 
at  the  mouth  of  the  connecting  tube,  and  soon  filled  the  whole 
receiver.  The  vessel  was  then  surrounded  with  snow,  and  kept 
refrigerated  during  the  remainder  of  the  process,  which  was 
conducted  about  three  hours,  when  the  fumes  being  less  co- 
piously formed,  the  receiver  was  detached  and  its  contents 
evaporated  in  a  small  capsule  by  means  of  a  water  bath,  until 
no  more  vapor  appeared  to  rise  from  it,  then  allowed  to  cool ;  a 
group  of  crystals  having  a  slightly  yellowish  tinge  was  obtained. 
These  were  soluble  in  water  and  alcohol,  but  insoluble  in  ether, 
and  after  being  exposed  to  a  gentle  heat  for  some  time  and  re- 
crystallized  from  alcohol,  had  no  perceptible  odor  of  the  un- 
combined  alkaloid.  But  by  touching  a  crystal  with  a  drop  of 
liquor  potassse  to  set  free  the  alkaloid,  the  disagreeable  fishy 
odor  of  propylamin  was  immediately  developed. 
The  liquor  remaining  in  the  retort  by  evaporation  gave  a 
soft  extract  of  a  dark  color,  which  had,  beside  the  alkaline,  a 
very  sweet  saccharine  taste. 
A  portion  of  the  aqueous  solution  was  precipitated  with 
subacetate  of  lead,  the  excess  of  lead  removed  by  sulphuretted 
hydrogen,  this  left  a  colorless  solution.  It  was  evaporated  to  a 
thick  syrupy  consistence  and  allowed  to  stand.  Some  small 
groups  of  needle-shaped  crystals  were  formed  throughout  the 
extract.  This  syrupy  substance  tasted  quite  as  sweet  as  cane 
sugar,  gave  a  precipitate  upon  the  addition  of  subacetate  of  lead 
with  ammonia,  and  did  not  readily  reduce  the  oxide  of  copper 
when  heated  with  a  solution  of  the  sulphate  and  caustic  potash. 
This  subjected  to  a  temperature  of  about  120^  E.  for  48  hours 
and  permitted  to  stand  for  two  weeks  exposed  to  the  air,  acquired 
a  darker  color,  and  upon  being  redissolved  in  water,  gave  a  dense 
precipitate  under  the  combined  influence  of  subacetate  of  lead 
and  ammonia,  and  promptly  afforded  the  red  dinoxide  of  copper 
under  the  influence  of  Trommer's  test.  2nd,  Four  ounces  troy 
of  the  fine  powder  treated  first  with  washed  ether  gave  a  light 
yellow  colored  liquid,  which  yielded  by  spontaneous  evaporation, 
a  yellow  resin,  with  small  drops  of  a  brown  fixed  oil  deposited 
over  the  surface.    The  mass  then  treated  with  95  per  cent. 
