Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
August,  1884.  J 
Menispermum  Canadense. 
403 
Carefully  heating  the  powdered  rhizome,  without  charring,  at  or 
near  100°C,  the  moisture  was  found  to  be  3*2  per  cent.  On  incinera- 
tion it  yielded  7*07  per  cent,  of  ash  containing  K.,  Ca.,  Mg.  and  Si., 
with  traces  of  Fe. 
The  second  alkaloid1  obtained  from  the  rhizome  was  in  the  form  of 
a  whitish  amorphous  powder,  gradually  becoming  darker  on  exposure 
to  the  air  and  light  •  when  first  precipitated  it  was  supposed  to  be 
either  oxyacanthine  or  menispermine.  Solutions  of  the  alkaloid  were 
made  containing  one  part  in  one  hundred,  in  two  hundred  and  fifty, 
in  five  hundred,  in  seven  hundred  and  fifty,  and  in  one  thousand  parts. 
These  five  degrees  of  strength  were  taken  that  the  exact  limit  of  pre- 
cipitation and  sensitiveness  could  be  ascertained.  The  behavior  of 
oxyacanthine  is  that  described  by  Mr.  H.  B.  Parsons. 
Oxyacanthine. 
Menispermine. 
Menispine. 
White,  yell,  on  expos. 
White,  yell,  on  expos. 
White,  yell,  on  expos 
Bitter. 
Tasteless,  entirely. 
Very  bitter. 
Nearly  insoluble. 
Insoluble. 
1  part  in  75. 
Soluble. 
1  part  in  200. 
Very  soluble. 
1  part  in  30. 
1  part  in  200. 
1  part  in  6. 
1  part  in  125. 
1  part  in  60. 
1  part  in  40. 
Freely  soluble. 
1  part  in  170. 
1  part  in  20. 
Soluble. 
1  part  in  200. 
Insoluble. 
Sparingly  soluble. 
Insoluble. 
Insoluble. 
Sol.  Soda  
Moderately  soluble. 
Insoluble. 
Insoluble. 
Nearly  insoluble. 
Insoluble. 
Insoluble. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  alkaloid  resembles  oxyacanthine  in  color 
and  influence  of  air.  The  bitter  taste  was  distinctly  noticeable  in  a 
solution  of  one  part  in  fifteen  hundred ;  it  is  to  be  remarked  in  this 
connection,  that  it  was  not  nauseous,  but  agreeable,  like  that  of  gentian. 
A  marked  difference  in  the  solubilities  is  seen,  the  alkaloid  being 
five  times  more  soluble  in  alcohol  than  oxyacanthine,  and  over  three 
times  in  ether.  While  oxyacanthine  is  more  or  less  soluble  in  ammo- 
nia, solution  of  soda,  and  solution  carbonate  of  sodium,  the  alkaloid 
in  question  is  entirely  insoluble  in  all  three. 
It  was  also  noticed  that  menispermine  was  entirely  insoluble  in  and 
unchanged  by  hydrochloric  acid,  but  menispine  is  freely  soluble  with- 
1  We  propose  for  this  alkaloid  the  name  of  menispine. — Ed. 
