ON  HUANOCHIN. 
553 
ON  HUANOCHIN,  AN  ALKALOID  IN  PERUVIAN  BARK. 
By  B.  H.  Paul,  Ph.  D. 
Some  ten  years  since  a  sample  of  bark  was  imported  into  Bre- 
men, which  was  at  first  sold  under  the  name  of  Cortex  Peruv.,  and 
described  by  Delondre  and  Bouchardat  under  the  name  of  China 
de  Huanuco  plana.  It  appeared  to  have  been  collected  from  C.  ni- 
tida  in  the  woods  of  Huanuco.  Hr.  Erdmann  describes  this  bark  as 
being  generally  free  from  periderm,  and  presenting  the  greatest 
resemblance  to  China  calisaya  (regia  plana,)  but  differs  from  it 
in  the  loose  texture,  slender  wedge-shaped  form,  in  the  irregular 
cavities  in  the  surface  of  the  derma,  and  in  the  thin,  soft,  fissured 
periderm,  covered  with  colored  lichens  and  fungi. 
When  chewed,  this  bark  has  a  sharp  taste,  but  is  not  astrin- 
gent or  bitter,  and  it  contains  a  peculiar  alkaloid,  to  which  Hr. 
Erdmann  has  given  the  name  of  huanochin.  He  obtained  it  by 
the  following  method  : — 
Four  pounds  of  the  crushed  bark  was  boiled  with  54  pounds 
of  water  and  two  ounces  of  hydrochloric  acid  (1.2  sp.  gr.,)  pressed, 
and  again  boiled  with  fresh  acid  and  water  twice.  The  clear 
liquids  were  mixed  with  caustic  soda  until  slightly  alkaline,  and 
the  precipitate  thus  produced  was  washed  with  water  and  dis- 
solved by  acetic  acid,  which  left  a  reddish-brown  residue.  Caus- 
tic soda  precipitated  from  the  acetic  solution  a  tolerably  colorless 
substance,  which  was  digested  with  alcohol  until  nothing  further 
could  be  extracted.  The  alcoholic  solution  was  decidedly  alka- 
line, and  when  concentrated,  yielded  shining  crystals,  which  were 
rendered  colorless  by  means  of  animal  charcoal  and  recrystalli- 
zation.  One  pound  of  bark  yielded  about  one  drachm  of  the  al- 
kaloid. 
The  characters  of  this  base  show  that  it  differs  from  quinine 
as  well  as  from  the  other  bases  of  bark.  It  crystallizes  in  small 
prisms  and  has  no  taste,  though  the  alkaline  solution  is  slightly 
bitter.  It  is  almost  insoluble  in  water,  at  62°  F.  it  dissolves  in 
400  parts  of  alcohol  of  80  per  cent.,  and  at  the  boiling  point  in 
110  parts  of  alcohol.  It  dissolves  in  600  parts  of  ether  at  62° 
F.,  and  in  470  parts  of  boiling  ether.  It  melts  readily  and  sub- 
limes ;  it  burns  with  a  smoky  flame,  and  does  not  leave  any  resi- 
due. 
The  sulphate  of  this  base  is  almost  insoluble  in  water,  readily 
