410  Metallic  Derivatives  of  Cupreine.  {AmAug.?if9brm" 
exist.  Solutions  of  lithium  hydroxide  and  of  barium  hydroxides 
also  dissolve  cupreine.  All  the  metallic  derivatives  of  cupreine 
assume  an  orange  or  brick-red  color  after  prolonged  drying  or  on 
heating  above  120°. 
Hesse  having  proved  that  cupreine  behaved  as  a  phenol  in  which 
hydrogen  may  be  displaced  by  a  metal,  the  author  has  investigated 
the  influence  such  replacement  has  on  the  specific  rotatory  power  of 
the  .alkaloid,  in  order  to  determine  if  the  alkaloid  and  the  base  com- 
bined molecule  for  molecule,  in  which  case  an  excess  of  base  ought 
not  to  affect  the  specific  rotatory  power  to  any  great  extent,  and  he 
publishes  very  complete  tables  of  the  specific  rotatory  power  of  the 
alkaloid  in  both  aqueous  and  alcoholic  solutions  of  potassium  and 
sodium  hydroxides,  in  aqueous  solutions  of  lithium  and  barium 
hydroxides,  and  in  ammonia  solution 
The  results  of  the  observations  are  as  follows  :  (i)  Approximately 
the  same  values  obtain  for  the  sp.  rot.  power  of  cupreine  for  similar 
concentrations  of  alkaloid  and  either  potassium,  sodium,  lithium, 
and  barium  hydroxides  in  aqueous  solution,  but  in  the  case  of  the 
ammoniacal  solution  the  rotatory  power  has  a  higher  value,  and 
differs  in  the  values  obtained  from  its  solution  in  fixed  alkalies  in  the 
fact  that  an  increased  strength  of  ammonia  solution  augments  the 
-sp.  rot.  power.  (2)  The  sp.  rot.  power  of  the  alkaloid  diminishes 
inversely  with  the  amount  present  in  the  alkaline  solution,  and  also 
with  the  amount  of  alkaline  hydroxide  present.  (3)  The  highest 
values  for  the  sp.  rot.  power  are  obtained  when  the  amounts  of 
alkaloid  and  of  hydroxide  associated  are  approximately  those  repre- 
sented by  their  molecular  weights ;  in  this  respect  cupreine  is 
analogous  to  quinamine  and  conquinamine  in  acid  solution.  It  is  to 
be  noted  that  the  values  obtained  in  alkaline  alcoholic  solution  are 
much  higher  than  those  in  aqueous  solution,  and  that  in  this  case 
additional  alkali  increases  the  rotatory  values. 
The  mean  rotatory  power  for  1  mol.  (in  milligrams)  of  cupreine  in 
20  cc.  of  water  with  1-2  mols.  (in  milligrams)  of  alkaline  hydrox- 
ide is  about  — 205  °. 
Camphoric  acid  has  been  used  by  Dr.  Combemale  {Jour,  de  Med.,  March 
1,  1891  ;  see  also  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1890,  p.  462)  as  an  antidiaphoretic,  which 
will  diminish,  almost  with  certainty,  the  exaggerated  functional  action  of  the 
sweat-glands,  and  has  not  the  great  disadvantage  of  atropine  of  causing  phe- 
nomena of  delirium,  nor,  like  agaric,  does  it  produce  free  purgation. 
