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236  NOTE  ON  THE  COLCHICUM  AUTUMNALE. 
yellowish-white  precipitate  with  water;  this  precipitate,  when 
well  washed  and  freed  from  the  coloring  matter,  is  soluble  in 
alcohol  or  ether,  and  crystallizes  readily.  A  larger  quantity  of 
the  product  is  obtained  by  employing  muriatic  acid,  and  allowing 
the  reaction  to  take  place  spontaneously.  After  a  few  weeks,  a 
great  many  warts  with  an  acicular  crystallization  are  found. 
These,  when  pulverized  and  well  washed,  furnish  a  nearly  white 
product  after  the  first  recrystallization  ;  whereas,  when  sulphuric 
acid  is  employed,  white  nacreous  crystals  cannot  be  obtained 
without  great  trouble,  the  resinous  coloring  matter  which  ac- 
companies this  product  being  got  rid  of  with  difficulty. 
This  crystalline  principle  is  not  a  salt ;  it  is  neutral,  and  re- 
agents do  not  indicate  any  trace  of  the  acids  employed  in  its 
preparation.  I  call  it  colchiceine,  as  it  differs  from  the  colchicine 
of  Hess  and  Geiger,  which,  as  I  shall  show,  appears  to  be  a  com- 
plex product. 
The  properties  of  colchiceine  are  as  follows  : — It  crystallizes 
very  readily  in  nacreous  lamellae  ;  it  is  almost  insoluble  in  water, 
but  communicates  to  this  vehicle  a  slight  bitterness,  which  is 
perceptibly  increased  by  ebullition.  At  this  temperature  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  product  is  dissolved,  but  this  is  deposited 
immediately  after  refrigeration.  The  solvents  of  colchiceine  are 
alcohol,  ether,  methylic  alcohol  and  chloroform,  which  when  in 
contact  with  it  acquire  a  very  intense  and  persistent  bitterness. 
The  alcoholic  solution  of  colchiceine  is  colored  by  the  addition 
of  bichloride  of  platinum,  and  no  precipitate  is  formed.  Pure 
and  concentrated  nitric  acid  dissolves  colchiceine ;  it  acquires  a 
very  intense  yellow  color,  passes  to  violet,  then  deep  red  and 
bright  red,  and  returns  to  its  original  yellow  color. 
Concentrated  sulphuric  acid  dissolves  it,  forming  a  solution  of 
a  very  intense  yellow  color,  which  is  retained  even  after  dilution 
with  water ;  in  course  of  time  brownish  flakes  are  formed.  Mu- 
riatic acid  dissolves  it  with  a  bright  yellow  color.  Lastly,  acetic 
acid  also  dissolves  it,  but  without  alteration  of  color. 
Colchiceine  is  soluble  in  ammonia,  and  crystallizes  by  evapora- 
tion in  the  air ;  it  is  soluble  in  caustic  potash,  acquires  a  green 
color  with  perchloride  of  iron,  and  presents  no  change  of  color 
or  turbidity  in  presence  of  solutions  of  neutral  or  tribasic  acetate 
of  lead,  of  nitrate  of  silver,  of  perchloride  of  mercury,  or  infu- 
sion of  nut-galls. 
