456 
ON  OXYACANTHIN. 
alkaloid,  but  separates  a  part  in  needles,  which  require  30  parts 
cold,  and  1  part  boiling  90  per  cent,  alcohol  for  solution ;  the 
cold  solution  has  a  bitterish  taste  and  slight  alkaline  reaction. 
The  crystals  require  125  p.  cold  and  4  p.  hot  ether  for  solu. 
tion.  It  is  freelj  soluble  in  chloroform,  and  with  the  aid  of 
heat  in  fixed  and  volatile  oils. 
It  yields  with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  a  clear,  somewhat 
yellowish  solution ;  with  nitric  acid  a  brownish  yellow  solution, 
separating  warty  and  needle-shaped  crystals  ;  with  chromate  of 
potassa  and  sulphuric  acid,  gradually  chromic  oxide ;  and  with 
chlorine  water,  a  yellow  solution,  becoming  darker,  not  turbid, 
with  ammonia ;  from  iodic  acid  it  liberates  iodine. 
The  neutral  hydrochlorate  gives  with  alkalies  a  white  precipi- 
tate, soluble  in  excess  and  in  much  ammonia  ;  with  alkaline 
carbonates,  a  white  permanent  precipitate  ;  with  nitro-picric 
acid,  a  lemon-yellow  precipitate,  readily  soluble  in  an  excess,  in 
alcohol,  acetic,  nitric,  muriatic  and  sulphuric  acids,  and  in  much 
water  ;  with  tannin,  a  yellowish  white  turbidity  ;  with  iodide  of 
potassium,  a  white,  and  in  the  presence  of  free  iodine,  a  brown- 
ish yellow  permanent  precipitate;  with  sulphocyanide  of  potas- 
sium, white  permanent  floccules  ;  with  ferrocyanide  of  potassium, 
white ;  with  the  ferrid  cyanide,  sulphur-yellow ;  terchloride  of 
gold,  yellowish;  bichlorideof  mercury,  white,  fine  floccules,  soluble 
in  water;  with  bichlorideof  platinum,  pale,  greyish  yellow; 
with  proto-nitrate  of  palladium,  brownish  yellow,  nearly  orange 
colored  ;  and  with  phosphomolybdic  acid,  a  yellowish  white  pre- 
cipitate. 
The  alkaloid  loses  IHO  at  100°  C,  and  consists  then  of 
Calculated.       Formed  by  4  analyses. 
32  C.       60-568  60-264 
23  H.        7-256  7.526 
N.        4-416  4-514 
11  0.      27-760  27-696 
The  equivalent  is  3962-5  (0=100;  or  317,  H=l),  which  is 
corroborated  by  the  platinochloride,  which  contains  in  7*5  grs. 
1-4108  gr.  platinum. 
Salts — The  hydrochlorate  dried  at  lOO'^  C.  contains  4H0, 
and  is  readily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  water,  and  crystallizes  in 
