396  Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica.        {Am  a^/S™" 
results  with  those  produced  by  aconitine  from  Ac.  Napellus.  The 
identity  of  these  two  alkaloids  was  corroborated  by  the  acrid,  not 
bitter,  taste  ;  by  the  melting  point  (180-9°  C.)  ;  by  the  absence  of 
color  reactions ;  by  the  rhombic  plates  of  the  hydriodide,  etc.  The 
small  yield  of  aconitine  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
tubers  had  been  preserved  by  salting  them. 
The  alkaloids  of  Corydalis  cava  have  been  studied  by  Fr.  Ader- 
mann  (Inaugural  Dissertation,  Dorpat,  1 890)  who  ascertained  that  the 
alkaloid  previously  described  as  corydaline  consists  of  three  or  four 
distinct  alkaloids,  one  of  which  has  properties  and  composition 
closely  analogous  to  liydroberberine.  It  forms  colorless  crystals 
which,  in  contact  with  light,  turn  yellow,  are  freely  soluble  in  chloro- 
form and  benzol,  and  dissolve  in  1  part  of  strong  alcohol,  in  28  p. 
ether,  sp.  gr.  0782,  in  35  p.  absolute  ether,  in  320  p.  petroleum 
benzin,  and  in  4792  p.  water.  It  has  the  composition  C20  H23N04, 
melts  at  1 38°  C,  and  has  no  characteristic  color  reactions.  Frohde's 
reagent  colors  transiently  green,  and  most  oxidizing  agents  produce 
a  yellowish-red  color.  On  boiling  the  alcoholic  solution  it  turns 
yellow,  and  then  contains  berberinc,  which  is  also  produced  by 
careful  treatment  of  the  solution  with  chromic  acid.  Berberine  is 
present  in  notable  proportion  in  the  chloroform  solution  of  the  crude 
alkaloids,  and  since  the  fresh  tuber  has  a  yellow  color,  this  alkaloid 
doubtless  exists  ready  formed  in  the  plant,  and  more  of  it  is  likely 
to  be  produced  during  the  process  of  isolating  the  hydroberberine- 
like  alkaloid.  An  alkaloid  for  which  the  author  proposes  to  retain  the 
name  corydaline,  crystallizes  in  long,  soft  needles  of  a  silky  lustre, 
turning  grayish-green  in  contact  with  light  and  with  alkalies.  Its 
composition  agrees  with  the  formula  C22H21N04.  The  alkaloid,  like 
the  first  one,  is  somewhat  dextro-rotatory.  Corydaline  requires  for 
solution  198  p.  ether,  338  p.  absolute  ether,  150  p.  strong  alcohol, 
45-5  p.  benzol  and  7064  p.  water.  The  salts  are  intensely  bitter 
and  crystallize  readily.  Sulphuric  acid  colors  yellowish,  changing 
to  a  splendid  violet.  Violet  colors  are  also  produced  by  Frohde's 
reagent,  by  selenosulphuric  acid,  and  by  sulphuric  acid  containing 
nitrate  or  chromate ;  the  latter  reaction  resembles  that  with  strych- 
nine, but  the  color  is  more  of  a  reddish  tint  and  disappears  more 
rapidly.  Fumarine  shows  similar  behavior,  and  is  probably  closely 
related  to  corydaline.  The  amorphous  base  was  present  in  the 
tuber  only  in  small  quantity,  and  its  purity  could  not  be  established. 
