ON  CONHYDRINE. 
323 
The  forms  of  this  platinum-salt  belong  to  the  dimetric  system : 
it  gave  on  analysis — 
C        27-59        27.34        27-80       16  2747 
H         5-30  548         5-16       17  545 
N         4.55  . .  .  .  1  4-01 
Pt       27-95        27-99        28-04        1  28-33 
CI         .  .  .  .  .  .  3  30-47 
0  .  .  .  .  .  .  2  4-57 
The  base  which  is  contained  in  this  platinum-salt  consequently 
has  the  formula  C16  H17  NO2.    Thus  we  have 
Coniine   C16  H15  N 
New  base  C16  H15  N,  H2  O2. 
The  latter  therefore  only  differs  from  coniine  by  the  elements 
of  water,  for  which  reason  the  author  calls  the  new  base  conhy- 
drine. 
By  distillation  with  anhydrous  phosphoric  acid,  it  loses  this 
elementary  group  of  2  equivs.  water,  and  furnishes  coniine,  which 
is  exactly  similar  to  the  ordinary  coniine  in  all  its  properties,  and 
even  in  its  action  upon  the  animal  organism ;  whilst  conhydrine 
certainly  produces  the  same  phenomena  of  poisoning,  but  in  a 
far  weaker  degree. 
The  author  takes  the  opportunity  of  making  the  following  ob- 
servation upon  the  muriate  of  coniine.  In  the  chemical  hand- 
books it  is  stated  that  muriate  of  coniine  crystallizes  with  diffi- 
culty, and  that  the  crystals  are  deliquescent ;  this,  however,  is 
by  no  means  the  case  ;  any  quantity,  however  small,  of  coniine, 
brought  in  contact  with  muriatic  acid  upon  a  watch-glass,  fur- 
nishes a  corresponding  quantity  of  crystals  in  a  very  short  time  ; 
these  crystals  are  not  in  the  least  deliquescent,  and  when  a  rather 
large  quantity  is  prepared,  they  are  easily  obtained  very  regular 
in  form  and  of  considerable  size.  The  crystals  are  rhombic,  and 
have  the  formula  C16  H15  N,  HC1. 
Between  coniine  and  conhydrine  we  find  a  connexion  which 
renders  it  interesting  to  compare  these  two  bases  with  quinine 
and  Wittstein's  new  base  cinchonidine. 
Thus  if  ordinary  quinine  =  C20  H12  JSTO2  be  treated  with  anhy- 
drous phosphoric  acid,  phosphate  of  quinoiline  and  a  gas  are  ob- 
tained ;  the  gas  is  absorbed  in  small  quantity  by  water,  burns 
with  a  pale  yellow  color,  and  is  taken  up  in  very  large  quantity 
