Am.  J  our.  Pharm.  1 
September,  1898.  J 
Alkaloidal  Periodides. 
439 
(c)  If  pure  white  mustard,  free  from  starch,  is  demanded  by 
the  U  S.P.,  it  should  show  no  bluish  coloration  whatever  when  sub- 
mitted to  the  same  test. 
In  conclusion,  the  author  extends  sincere  thanks  to  Dr.  Sigmond 
Waldbott,  Librarian  of  the  Lloyd  Library,  for  detailed  assistance 
both  in  experimentation  and  literary  research. 
CERTAIN  ALKALOIDAL  PERIODIDES  AND  THE  VOLU- 
METRIC ESTIMATION  OF  ALKALOIDS  AS 
HIGHER  PERIODIDES.1 
By  A.  B.  Prescott  and  H.  M.  Gordin. 
In  continuation  of  previous  work  upon  perhalides  of  organic 
bases  (Prescott,  Gomberg,  Trowbridge  and  others,  1895-98  ;  y.  Am. 
Chem.  Soc.t  17,  775,  859;  18,  28,  91,  331,  347;  19,  322,  558)  the 
authors  have  now  obtained  the  following,  as  compounds  of  quite 
constant  composition : 
Atropine  hydriodide  octaiodide,  C17H23N03  HI.I8. 
Strychnine  hydriodide  hexaiodide,  C21H22N202.HI.I6. 
Brucine  hydriodide  hexaiodide,  G23H26N204.HI.I6. 
Morphine  hydriodide  triiodide,  C17Hl9N03.HI.I3. 
Aconitine  hydriodide  hexaiodide,  C33H45N012.HI.I6. 
The  morphine  periodide  obtained  constant  in  the  given  condi- 
tions is  the  same  found  by  Jbrgensen  in  1870.  The  composition  of 
the  higher  periodide  of  aconitine  above  written,  on  the  alkaloid 
formula  of  Dunstan,  is  given  provisionally.  The  same  conditions 
insure  the  formation  of  the  periodide  of  caffeine,  obtained  by  Gom- 
berg in  1896,  namely,  caffeine  hydriodide  tetraiodide. 
The  conditions  necessary  for  these  formations  are  only  those  of 
precipitation  from  quite  dilute  water  solutions  with  a  constant  ex- 
cess of  iodine  from  first  to  last,  the  alkaloid  being  in  a  salt  or  acid 
solution.  In  such  conditions  these  are  the  highest  periodides  that 
can  be  formed.  In  precipitation  from  water  solutions  with  excess 
of  the  alkaloidal  salt,  lower  periodides  are  formed  in  case  of  atro- 
pine, strychnine,  brucine,  aconitine,  not  in  case  of  morphine.  Some 
of  these  lower  periodides  the  authors  have  analyzed,  and  others 
will  be  examined.    In  character  and  behavior  the  periodides  of  the 
Abstract  of  a  paper  presented  at  the  Baltimore  meeting  of  the  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association. 
