196 
ACTIVE  CONSTITUENTS  OF  ERGOT  OF  RYE. 
,  The  filtrate  from  the  precipitated  chloride  of  mercury  and 
Ecbolina  is  treated  with  phospho-molybdic  acid  as  long  as  a 
precipitate  may  be  obtained.  The  washed  precipitate  on 
being  suspended  in  water  with  carbonate  of  baryta  added  to 
excess,  and  then  digested  with  a  gentle  heat  until  the  yellowish 
color  of  the  mixture  is  replaced  by  a  pure  white,  with  the  evo- 
lution of  carbonic  acid,  The  decomposition  is  now  complete, 
and  the  filtered  solution  containing  the  alkaloid  in  its  isolated 
state  may  be  obtained  solid  by  careful  evaporation. 
■  The  Ecbolina  was,  by  the  following  necessary  and  more  com- 
plicated process,  obtained  in  the  state  of  isolation.  The 
phospho-molybdic  acid  compound  of  Ecbolina  cannot  be  de- 
composed like  that  of  Ergotina,  by  simply  heating  the  suspended 
precipitate  with  carbonate  of  baryta,  and  on  evaporating  the 
mixture  to  dryness  in  a  water  bath,  according  to  the  direction 
given  by  Dr.  Sonnenschein,  decomposition  is  indeed  effected, 
but  with  nearly  the  entire  loss  of  the  alkaloid.  The  follow- 
ing method  has  succeeded  in  my  hands  but  with  a  compara- 
tively small  loss. 
The  chloride  of  Ecbolina  is  to  be  treated  with  an  excess  of 
phosphate  of  silver  and  the  chloride  of  silver,  which  is  formed  by 
the  double  decomposition  with  any  excess  of  the  phosphate  re- 
moved by  filtration.  To  the  filtrate  is  to  be  added  sufficient  hy- 
drate of  lime,  and  the  mixture  well  shaken  until  the  phosphoric 
acid  is  entirely  combined  with  the  lime.  The  solution  is  then  to  be 
filtered  from  the  precipitated  phosphate  of  lime  and  any  ex- 
cess of  lime,  and  for  removing  the  lime  still  held  in  solution,  a 
stream  of  carbonic  acid  is  passed  through  it  until  litmus 
paper  is  reddened.  On  gently  warming  the  solution,  car- 
bonate of  lime  is  deposited  and  the  gas  expelled.  The  filtered 
solution  now  contains  the  alkaloid  in  the  isolated  condition, 
and  may  be  obtained  by  careful  evaporation  at  a  low  tempera- 
ture in  the  solid  state. 
The  alkaloids  thus  obtained  appear  uncrystallizable.  They 
are  left,  when  their  solutions  are  evaporated,  in  the  form  of  a 
brownish  varnish  coating  the  dish.  They  restore  the  color  of 
reddened  litmus,  and  turn  turmeric  paper  brown.  They  are 
soluble  in  alcohol  and  water ;  sparingly  soluble  in  wood  spirit 
