Am"seplt!;i89iaim*}  Alkaloids  of  Sanguinaria  and  Chelidonium.  457 
ALKALOIDS  OF  THE  ROOTS  OF  SANGUINARIA  CANA- 
DENSIS AND  CHELIDONIUM  MAJUS.1 
By  G.  Konig. 
The  roots  of  Sanguinaria  canadensis,  a  native  of  North  America* 
and  the  sanguinarine  of  commerce  contain  several  alkaloids,  includ- 
ing chelerythrine,  which  is  present  in  greatest  quantity,  sanguinarine, 
y-homochelidonine,  and  protopine. 
■  Chelerythrine  crystallizes  with  a  molecule  of  alcohol,  which  is  not 
separated  at  a  temperature  of  1500;  the  formula  is  C21H17N04 
C2H60  ;  melting  point  203 °.  It  is  identical  with  the  alkaloid  which 
the  author  separated  from  the  celandine,  Chelidonium  majus.  The 
aurochloride,  C21H17N04,HAuG4,  melts  at  2330  ;  the  platinocliloride 
is  (C21H17NOJ2,H2PtC]6 ;  the  hydrochloride  crystallizes  out  of  aqueous 
solution  with  5  mols.  H20,  and  from  alcohol  with  4  mols.  H20.  The 
salts  are  lemon-yellow. 
Sanguinarine,  COQH15N04,  is  very  similar  to  chelerythrine  in  its 
properties;  it  crystallizes  with  y2  mol.  H20,  and  melts  at  21 1°  ;  its 
salts  are  red.  The  hydrochloride,  C20H]3NO4,HCl  -f  5  H20,  the  nitrate •, 
C20H15NO4,HNO3  +  H20,  the  aurochloride,  C20H15NO4,HAuCl4,  and 
the  platinocliloride,  (C20H15NO4)2,H2PtCl6,  were  prepared. 
The  base  which  the  author  has  named  y-homochelidonine  is  prob- 
ably identical  with  that  separated  by  Selle  from  Chelidonium  majus, 
and  its  formula  is  probably  C22H21N04.  Its  behavior  with  alkaloid 
reagents  resembles  that  of  Selle's  ^-homochelidonine.  The  fourth 
alkaloid, protopine,  was  prepared  from  Chelidonium  majus,  Sanguinaria 
canadensis,  and  from  opium,  all  the  three  specimens  being  identical. 
Its  formula  is  C20H17NO5,  and  it  melts  at  2040  ;  the  platinocliloride, 
(C20H10NO5)2>H2PtC]6  -f  3H20 ;  and  the  aurochloride, 
C20H17NO5,HAuCl4, 
melting  at  1820,  were  prepared;  the  hydrochloride,  C20H17NO5,HCl, 
crystallizes  in  two  different  forms,  and  appears  to  be  free  from  com- 
bined water. 
Cocaine  nitrate  is  employed  by  Lavaux  in  connection  with  silver  nitrate,  in 
diseases  of  the  genito-urinary  organs,  1  gm.  of  each  salt  being  dissolved  in  50 
gm.  water.  Cocaine  nitrate  is  prepared  by  precipitating  a  solution  of  silver 
nitrate  with  one  of  cocaine  hydrochloride. — Petit  Monit.  de  la  P/iar.,  June,  1891. 
1  Chem.  Centr.,  1891,  i,  321-322  ;  Zeit.  Naturwiss.  Halle,  63,  369-426 ; 
reprinted  from  Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  1891,  p.  843. 
