24  Constitution  of  the  Alkaloids.        { A  janua?y,Pi9oom" 
Of  strychnine  we  know  that  it  is  a  quinoline  derivative,  as  Ger- 
hardt,  way  back  in  the  forties,  obtained  quinoline  from  it.  While 
many  have  worked  upon  strychnine,  the  main  work  that  bears  upon 
its  constitution  has  been  done  by  Tafel.  This  work  has  shown  that 
it  is  a  derivative  of  a  nucleus  of  formula 
H  | 
C  N 
/N.  /\ 
HC        C  CH 
I         I  I 
HC        C  CH 
H  C 
C  H 
which  has  been  called  strychnoline,  and  this  substance  does  not  pos- 
sess the  characteristic  properties  of  strychnine,  while,  when  oxidized 
and  an  oxygen  atom  replaces  the  two  hydrogen  atoms  of  the  CH2 
group,  it  assumes  the  poisonous  and  cramp-producing  properties  of 
strychnine.  Just  how  the  remaining  part  of  the  strychnine  molecule 
is  made  up  is  at  present  unknown.  Colchicine  has  been  studied  by 
Zeisel  for  some  years  and  he  has  ascertained  that  colchicine  is  the 
methylester  of  colchiceine  and  that  the  latter  contains  a  carboxyl 
group  COOH.  He  has  made  numerous  derivatives  of  colchicine 
and  has  established  that  it  is  not  a  pyridine  or  a  quinoline  derivative, 
but  that  the  nitrogen  is  in  all  probability  present  in  the  form  of  an 
acetylated  amido  group.  An  atomic  group  C]5H9  is  as  yet  unde- 
termined in  case  of  this  alkaloid  and,  as  far  as  known,  the  constitution 
is  supposed  by  Zeisel  to  be 
/(OCH3)3 
^5^9  iN\COCH3 
\COOCH3 
Colchicine. 
I  have  now  brought  the  constitution  of  the  alkaloids  up  to  date, 
and  we  have  observed  that  at  the  present  day  more  work  is  being 
done  on  their  constitution  than  ever  before,  and  that  there  appears 
to  be  ample  scientific  interest  attaching  to  the  work  to  justify  me  in 
predicting  that  before  twenty  more  years  have  passed  by  the  con- 
stitution of  every  alkaloid  will  be  known  definitely.  To  those 
that  have  the  question  on  the  tips  of  their  tongues,  of  what  advan- 
tage to  pharmacy  is  all  this  structural  work,  I  will  answer  that  it  is 
