406 
COCAINA,  THE  ACTIVE  PRINCIPLE  OF  COCA. 
combinations  either  by  the  decomposing  action  of  an  electric 
current,  or  by  precipitation  with  zinc,  or  by  reduction  with 
charcoal  at  a  high  temperature.  The  chlorine  may  also  be 
separated  from  its  chlorides  by  potassium  or  sodium,  under  the 
influence  of  heat ;  in  this  latter  case  the  reaction  is  very 
energetic. 
The  small  ingot,  weighing  fourteen  grammes,  which  I  had  the 
honor  of  exhibiting  to  the  Academy,  was  entirely  isolated  by  a 
battery  of  a  few  Bunsen  elements,  first  from  the  chlorides  origin- 
ally obtained,  and  then  from  the  crystallised  sulphate  formed 
directly  by  the  solution  of  this  thallium  in  pure  sulphuric  acid. 
In  concluding  my  memoir,  I  wish  the  Academy  to  understand 
that  I  do  not  pretend  to  lay  before  them  a  complete  research 
on  thallium.  My  object  has  chiefly  been  to  show  the  new  metal 
and  some  of  the  principal  salts  which  it  forms.  In  a  subsequent 
communication  I  will  endeavor  to  fill  up  some  of  the  gaps  at 
present  in  its  history. — Chem.  Neivs,  Lond.  July  19,  1862. 
ON  COCAINA,  THE  ACTIVE  PRINCIPLE  OF  COCA. 
By  M.  Lossen. 
The  author,  whose  researches  follow  those  of  M.  Niemann, 
(see  Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,  page  122,  1861,  and  also  Maisch's 
paper,  ibid,  496,)  has  examined  cocaina  in  reference  to  the 
products  of  its  decomposition.  When  heated  with  chlorohy- 
dric  acid  it  splits  into  benzoic  acid,  and  a  new  base  which 
the  author  calls  ecgonin*  which  confirms  an  observation  before 
made,  to  wit,  that  the  double  chloride  of  gold  and  cocaina  gives 
rise  when  heated  to  the  disengagement  of  benzoic  acid.  The 
new  base  having  for  its  formula  C18H16N06,  cocaina,  under  these 
circumstances,  is  purely  and  simply  split  into  benzoic  acid  and 
and  ecgonina  by  fixing  the  elements  of  two  equivalents  of 
water.  Reduced  by  concentration,  the  hydrochloric  solution 
deposits  a  crystallization  of  benzoic  acid  ;  the  mother  waters  are 
not  precipitated  by  carbonate  of  soda,  and  it  was  this  circum- 
stance that  led  to  the  discovery  of  the  new  base. 
The  operation  succeeds  best  when  you  operate  at  212°  in  a  sealed 
tube ;  the  chlorohydrate  of  ecgonina  crystallizes  last.  This  base  is 
soluble  in  water;  bichloride  of  plantium  precipitates  it  only  in  pres- 
*  From  tzyovoi,  son,  descendant. 
