122 
ON  RHCEADINA. 
carefully  pressing  with  the  finger  against  the  large  end  of  each 
casting,  it  is  discharged  from  the  matrice.  They  use  pure  butter 
of  cocoa  as  the  basis  during  the  winter  months — for  warm 
weather,  the  addition  of  from  one-sixteenth  to  one-twentieth  of 
paraffin  gives  a  good  consistency.    (Paraffin  is  better  than  wax.) 
To  incorporate  extractive  matter  with  the  butter  of  cocoa1,  they 
rub  the  extract  to  a  thin  paste  with  alcohol,  then  add  sufficient 
butter  of  cocoa  to  form  a  powder,  incorporate  this  "with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  butter  of  cocoa,  in  a  semifluid  condition,  and  form 
the  suppositories  by  casting. 
On  inquiry,  we  find  that  this  mould  may  be  obtained  of 
Messrs.  B.  &  C.  for  the  sum  of  five  dollars. 
ON  RHCEADINA. 
By  0.  Hesse. 
A  peculiar  alkaloid  was  found  by  the  author  in  all  parts  of 
Papaver  R  hoe  as,  for  which  he  proposes  the  name  of  rhceadina. 
The  plant  is  exhausted  with  Warm  water,  the  infusion  concen- 
trated at  a  moderate  heat,  the  slightly  acid  extract  is  treated 
with  carbonate  of  soda,  and  repeatedly  agitated  with  ether ;  the 
ether  is  .shaken  with  a  solution  of  bitartrate  of  soda,  and  this 
•liquid  precipitated  by  ammonia.  The  greyish  white  voluminous 
precipitate  soon  becomes  dense  and  crystalline,  is  washed  with 
cold  water,  dried  and  boiled  with  alcohol,  which  removes  color- 
ing matter,  and  another  alkaloid,  present  only  in  small  quantity, 
apparently  thebaina.  To  obtain  it  pure,  the  alkaloid  is  combined 
with  acetic  acid,  treated  with  animal  charcoal,  and  precipitated 
by  ammonia. 
Rhceadina  crystallizes  in  small  white  prisms  which  are  almost 
insoluble  in  ether,  benzine,  chloroform,  alcohol,  water,  ammonia, 
carbonate  of  soda  and  lime-water.  At  18°  C,  it  requires  1280 
parts  ether  for  solution.  Like  its  solutions  in  acids,  it  is  taste- 
less, and  not  poisonous.  Its  composition  is  G^H^NO^.  It 
fuses  at  232°  C,  becomes  brown,  while  another  portion  sublimes. 
It  sublimes  best  in  a  current  of  carbonic  acid. 
Dilute  acids,  if  not  in  excess,  produce  with  the  alkaloid  color- 
less solutions  in  the  cold  ;  muriatic  and  sulphuric  acid  of  moder- 
