The  Alkaloid  Sophoria.  283 
NOTE  ON  THE  ALKALOID  SOPHORIA. 
By  H.  C.  Wood,  M.D. 
Some  months  since  I  gave  notice1  of  the  finding  of  an  alkaloid  having 
toxic  properties  in  the  bean  of  Sophora  speciosa  of  Texas.  During  the 
past  winter  I  have  made  some  further  study  of  the  bean,  which, 
although  it  does  not  exhaust  the  subject,  has  led  to  results  worthy  of 
publication.  Other  pressing  engagements  will  prevent  my  giving  more 
time  to  the  matter,  and  it  affords  me  pleasure  to  turn  it  over  to  the  far 
abler  hands  of  Professor  Wormley,  who  hopes  to  make  a  thorough 
investigation.  This  much  of  apology.  In  the  present  state  in  which 
it  was  obtained  sophoria  is  a  transparent  liquid,  having  a  highly  alkaline 
reaction,  freely  soluble  in  water,  somewhat  so  in  ether  and  very  freely 
so  in  chloroform.  When  quite  pure  it  is  probably  colorless,  but,  like 
other  liquid  alkaloids,  it  is  very  prone  to  undergo  change,  and  I  have 
never  seen  it  free  from  a  brownish  tint.  Its  chloride  crystallizes  very 
readily,  and  appears  to  be  a  stable  salt.  With  chloride  of  platinum  it 
gives  beautiful  and  peculiar  crystals.  When  an  acid  is  added  to  its 
watery  solution  drop  by  drop,  very  marked  turbidity  is  produced,  clear- 
ing up  as  more  of  the  acid  is  put  in.  Crystallization  is  favored  by  not 
allowing  the  reaction  of  the  solution  to  become  distinctly  acid  ;  and 
there  is  reason  for  believing  that  the  crystalline  salt  is  basic,  although  I 
cannot  speak  positively  upon  this  point.  The  most  characteristic  test 
is  that,  with  the  tincture  of  the  chloride  of  iron,  a  deep  blood- red  color 
being  produced. 
I  have  tried  various  processes  for  preparing  this  alkaloid,  but  the 
only  one  which  has  yielded  me  any  results  is  as  follows  :  The  powdered 
beans  are  first  well  moistened  with  strong  alcohol  and  allowed  to  stand 
for  two  hours,  the  object  being  to  coagulate  the  albuminous  and  gummy 
principles  of  the  bean  as  much  as  possible.  In  order  to  avoid  the 
extraction  of  the  very  abundant  coloring  matter  of  the  shell,  water  not 
too  strongly  acidulated  with  muriatic  acid  is  added  in  considerable 
quantity  after  the  second  hour,  and  maceration  allowed  to  continue  for 
a  week.  The  expressed  liquid  is  concentrated  on  a  water-bath,  and 
when  cold  rendered  decidedly  alkaline  with  carbonate  of  sodium,  and 
agitated  with  an  equal  bulk  of  chloroform.  On  standing,  the  mixture 
separates  into  two  layers,  the  lower  being  an  emulsion  of  chloroform. 
1  See  "Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  Jan.,  p.  33. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1878. 
