210        Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.     [Am^Su STm' 
cial  cinchonine  sulphate  with  potassium  permanganate.  It  has 
already  been  pointed  out  that  hydrocinchonine  naturally  exists  with 
cinchonine,  and  can  be  separated  from  it  in  several  ways,  whilst  the 
cinchonine  of  Remijia  purdieana  has  been  found  by  Dr.  Hesse  to 
contain  it  in  relatively  larger  quantity.  The  two  mixed  bases  are 
best  separated  by  converting  them  into  platinum  salts  in  a  very 
slightly  acid  solution,  so  that  the  excess  of  hydrochloric  acid  does 
not  exceed  j£  molecule  of  HC1,  and  removing  the  flocculent  hydro- 
cinchonine salt  from  the  granular  platinum  salt  of  cinchonine. 
Hydrocinchonine  was  then  obtained  by  treating  the  platinum  salt 
with  ammonia  and  recrystallizing  from  hot  alcohol. 
Hydrocinchonine  melts  at  268°  to  269°  C.,and  has  a  rotatory  power 
of  [«]D  =  -j-  204-5°  m  absolute  alcohol  at  15°  C.  The  sulphate 
(C19H24N20)2H2S04  •  I2H20,  and  sulphates  containing  9,  6  or  2  mole- 
cules of  water  have  been  obtained.  They  all  lose  the  water  of  crys- 
tallization at  100°  to  120°  C.  Hydrocinchonine  sulphonic  acid, 
C19H23N2C),SC)3H,H20,  was  obtained  by  dissolving  hydrocinchonine 
in  sulphuric  acid  (1-84  specific  gravity),  allowing  to  stand  forty-eight 
hours,  adding  water,  and  nearly  neutralizing  with  ammonia.  The 
greater  part  of  the  sulphonic  acid  separates  out,  and  can  be  recrys- 
tallized  from  boiling  water.  Dr.  Hesse  differs  in  several  instances 
from  Skraup's  work  on  hydrocinchonine,  and  also  objects  to  Skraup 
substituting  the  name  "cinchotine"  for  that  body. — Annalen,  300, 
42,  through  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  February  26,  1898. 
ALKALOIDS  OF  LYCORIS  RADIATA. 
Morishima  has  isolated  two  alkaloids  from  Lycoris  radiata — 
lycorine,  precipitated  by  sodium  carbonate  from  sulphuric-acid  solu- 
tion, and  sekisanine.  Lycorine,  C32H32N208,  forms  large,  colorless, 
polyhedric  crystals,  which  turn  yellow  at  235°  C,  and  decompose 
at  250°  C.  to  a  deep-brown  resinous  mass;  they  are  barely  soluble 
in  water,  sparingly  so  in  ether,  alcohol  and  chloroform.  The  solu- 
tions in  acids  give  precipitates  with  the  usual  alkaloidal  reagents. 
The  gold  salt  is  easily  decomposed,  and  the  platinum  salt  melts  at 
210°.  K2Mn208,  in  neutral  solution,  furnishes  a  brown  precipitate, 
which  is  dissolved  with  a  fine  fluorescence  by  an  excess  of  hydro- 
chloric acid.  The  fluorescence  is  also  produced  by  dilute  bromine 
water.  The  hydrochloride,  C32H32N2082HC1  -f  2H20,  crystallized 
from  hot  water  in  colorless,  bitter,  shining  needles,  melting  at 
