328 NOTICE OF CHELIDONINE AND PERROPINE. 
of the stomach, as a mechanical irritant, it is far from easy to 
determine ; the probability is, reasoning analogically, that 
neither the one or the other circumstance, medicinally consi- 
dered, is of much consequence. 
Edin. Lond. and Dub. Phil. Mag. 
ART. LXII.— NOTICE OF CHELIDONINE AND PERROPINE. 
M. Polex has found in the root of the Chelidonium majus, 
a true alkaloid (chelidonine) and a sub-alkaloid, (perropine,) a 
principle analogous to narcotine and narceine, and to which 
the juice owes its color. On distilling this plant with its root 
at the time it was in flower, either with or without an alkali, 
products were obtained having the narcotic odor of this ve- 
getable. 
In the acid product of the distillation without alkali, formic 
and acetic acids were manifest; that obtained by the addition 
ofpotassa contained ammonia. 
Preparation of these two Jllkaloids. 
The dried root of the Cheledonium majus is reduced to pow- 
der and boiled with two portions of alcohol. These infusions 
were distilled, and to the residue an equal weight of water 
added, and the remainder of the alcohol separated by distilla- 
tion. From the remaining solution, when thrown into an evapo- 
rating dish, and completely cold, a soft resin is set free; this is 
separated by the filter, and the two alkaloids precipitated by 
carbonate of soda. The precipitate is collected on a filter and 
washed with cold water, and then dissolved in boiling alcohol 
of 84°, and the solution allowed to cool. Proceeding thus, 
the greatest part of the chelidonine crystallizes, and the re- 
mainder on evaporation of the alcohol. The crystals are to 
be washed with alcohol, to separate any extractive. The mo- 
ther water and the washings are evaporated at a moderate 
