AmAprn;iSrm"}         On  the  Veratrmn  Alkaloids.  197 
the  united  filtrates  most  of  the  alcohol  was  recovered  by  distillation 
under  reduced  pressure,  to  the  remaining  thin  extract  were  added 
3-4  volumes  hot  distilled  water,  the  resin  separated  by  filtration 
and  the  coloring  matter  removed  from  the  filtrate  by  agitating  with 
4  or  5  portions  of  ether.  The  aqueous  liquid  was  next  made 
alkaline  with  sodium  bicarbonate,  extracted  with  4  or  5  portions 
of  ether,  and  afterward  with  chloroform,  until  Mayer's  reagent 
failed  to  produce  a  turbidity  with  an  aqueous  solution  of  the  chloro- 
form residue.  Under  the  microscope  the  ethereal  residue  was  seen 
to  consist  of  tufts  of  crystalline  needles,  through  which  were 
scattered  some  rhombic  crystals  ;  the  chloroform  residue  '  was 
amorphous  and  of  a  dark  yellow  color.  Both  of  the  residues 
were  colored  yellow,  orange  and,  finally,  brown-red  with  concen- 
trated sulphuric  acid.  The  crude  alkaloids  obtained  from  the 
different  specimens  of  V.  album  were  mixed  and  dissolved  in  10  per 
cent,  acetic  acid,  agitated  with  ether  to  remove  coloring  matter,  etc., 
following  the  process  outlined  above  in  the  extraction ;  after  repeat- 
ing this  purification,  the  alkaloids  were  separated  by  first  treating 
with  absolute  ether,  which  removed  the  veratroidine  with  a  little 
jervine ;  the  insoluble  portion,  dissolved  in  absolute  alcohol,  was  set 
aside  to  crystallize  ;  there  appeared,  first,  individual  rhombic  crystals 
which  were  removed,  and  later,  small  needle-shaped  crystals 
arranged  like  glands  (jervine);  by  the  addition  of  HC1  to  acid 
reaction,  and  setting  aside  a  further  quantity  of  hydrochlorate  of 
jervine  was  obtained.  The  mother-liquor  from  this  formed,  on 
evaporation,  a  brown  amorphous  mass,  of  which  a  portion  was 
soluble  in  benzol ;  this  solution,  by  addition  of  petroleum  ether, 
yielded  a  colorless  flocculent  precipitate  found  to  consist  of  a  mix- 
ture of  veratroidine  and  jervine.  The  portion  insoluble  in  benzol 
was  treated  with  10  per  cent,  acetic  acid,  filtered,  the  filtrate  made 
alkaline  with  sodium  carbonate  and  extracted  with  chloroform;  the 
latter  solvent  upon  evaporation  left  a  yellow  amorphous  mass.  The 
reactions  of  this,  possibly,  a  fourth  alkaloid  (Wright  and  Luff's 
veratralbine)  are:  with  concentrated  H2S04  yellowish-green ;  with 
Froehde's  reagent  yellowish  brown  ;  with  concentrated  HN03  red- 
dish-yellow; evaporated  to  dryness  on  a  water-bath  with  fuming 
HNO3  and  addition  of  alcoholic  KOH,  a  dark  yellow  coloration  ; 
melting  point  281  °C. ;  the  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of  vera- 
troidine causes  at  once  the  color  reactions  of  Wright  and  Luff's 
