102 
Kola  and  Kolanm. 
/Am.  Jour.  Phariri. 
I    February,  ]  886. 
formic,  acetic  and  isobutyric  acids.  He  believes  this  substance  is 
converted  into  tannic  acid  during  the  drying  of  the  nuts.  The  work 
of  both  Heckel  and  Knebel  heretofore  referred  to  upon  kolanin  was 
conducted  mainly  upon  the  dried  drug.  It  is  quite  evident,  how- 
ever, from  the  results  obtained  by  a  number  of  other  observers,  that, 
in  the  undried  seed,  especially  before  ripening,  little  or  no  caffeine 
exists  as  a  free  alkaloid.  In  carefully  manipulated  samples  of  the 
unripe  nut,  the  quantity  in  some  instances  has  been  found  to  be 
quite  small,  especially  when  the  nuts  are  fresh  from  the  tree.  It 
has,  so  far,  been  found  difficult  to  separate  kolanin  free  from  fat, 
resinous  and  extractive  matter ;  the  tannin  and  mineral  constitu- 
ents present  in  small  amounts  are  also  more  or  less  difficult  of 
removal.  The  glucosidal  body  itself  is  also  given  to  decomposition 
in  the  manipulations  used  for  removal.  Therefore,  it  may  not  be 
strictly  correct  to  say  the  end  product  is  absolute  kolanin.1 
In  the  process  given  by  Knebel  for  the  separation  of  kolanin,  even 
the  washing  with  water  causes  some  change  in  the  glucoside.  The 
kola  rouge  of  Heckel  and  Schlagdenhauffen  is  really  an  impure  glu- 
coside, contaminated  with  glucose,  tannin,  inorganic  salts  and  some 
fatty  bodies.  For  their  product  these  authors  have  given  the  fol- 
lowing properties  and  reactions :  Freed  from  glucose  and  fixed  salts 
by  precipitation  with  acetate  of  lead  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  it 
gives  a  deep  green  color  with  iron  salts.  Ammoniated  citrate  of 
iron,  with  an  excess  of  ammonia,  gives  a  blood-red  coloration.  Tar- 
tarized  antimony  gives  a  voluminous  precipitate ;  gelatin,  a  white 
precipitate.  A  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  is  reduced.  The  product 
itself  is  a  brown-red,  amorphous,  bitter  powder,  insoluble  in  cold 
water,  partly  soluble  in  boiling  water,  in  hot  water  forming  a  resin- 
ous, greasy  ball,  cooling  to  a  shiny,  hard  mass.  When  freed  from 
tannin  its  solution  gives  a  brown  precipitate  with  alum,  with  sul- 
phate of  copper  a  dark  green  precipitate.  A  precipitate  is  formed 
with  a  solution  of  iodine  in  potassium  iodide.  A  more  purified 
form  of  kolanin  is  soluble  in  boiling  water,  alcoholic  solution  of 
1 1  am  also  of  the  opinion  that  in  the  processes  in  common  use  for  the  assay  of 
kola,  kolanin  is  not  entirely  broken  up,  and,  therefore,  the  whole  of  the  alka- 
loidal  content  of  the  drug  is  not  revealed  in  the  result.  Prof.  A.  R.  L.  Dohme 
is  of  the  opinion,  however,  that,  in  the  process  outlined  by  him  at  one  of  these 
meetings,  the  glucoside  is  entirely  decomposed.  I  have  suggested  to  him  that 
he  continue  his  investigations,  and  have  sent  him  samples  of  both  the  dried 
and  undried  drug  for  the  purpose. 
