116 ACTION OF NITRIC ACID UPON BRUCINE. 
of nitrous acid. From want of ice and the high tempera- 
ture during the last summer, all attempts to condense the 
gas were in vain; it was therefore analysed by connecting 
a long combustion tube with the preceding apparatus. The 
tube was provided, as usual, with the chloride of calcium 
and potash apparatus, and filled partly with recently ignited 
copper turnings, and partly with oxide of copper. Every 
caution was employed to get rid of hygroscopic moisture. 
In one experiment, with 10 grms. brucine, the author ob- 
tained O.3l67carbon and 0.0799 hydrogen, which in equi- 
valents is in the relation of 4 : 6.05. In a second experiment 
with 6 grms. brucine, the relation was found to be as 
4 : 6.38. This is far removed from the relative quantity of 
carbon and hydrogen in the ethers, and it is quite certain 
that the reaction is not so simple as stated by Laurent and 
and Gerhardt. 
A portion of the residue was treated with alcohol; the 
colour on drying was reddish-yellow, and not at all beauti- 
ful. On analysis it afforded — 
Carbon - - ' - 51.68 51.86 
^Hydrogen - - 5.44 5.51 
Nitrogen - - 13.53 
Oxygen - - - 29.30 
Laurent observes that he succeeded in crystallizing this 
body ; but he does not describe by what method. The only 
method by which I could obtain any considerable quantity 
in crystals was by dissolving it in water strongly acidified 
with nitric acid. The cacotheline then crystallized in beau- 
tiful yellow laminee, and on analysis afforded — 
Q42J^22jSj4 Q20 
Carbon - - 51.57 51.50 51.43 
Hydrogen - 4.75 4.80 4.48 
Nitrogen - - 12.69 . . 11.43 
Oxygen - - 30.99 . . 32.66 
A solution of this substance, mixed with nitrate of am- 
monia and silver, yields a flocculent precipitate, which is 
