588 
Asiminine. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharni. 
Dec,  1886. 
is  added,  when,  if  concentrated,  a  magma  of  crystals  of  the  hydro- 
chlorate  of  the  alkaloid  will  be  produced.  If  the  solution  is  dilute, 
evaporation  will  be  necessary.  These  crystals  are  purified  by  crys- 
tallization from  hot  alcohol,  then  dissolved  in  water,  precipitated 
with  ammonia  and  the  amorphous  alkaloid  is  dried.  The  yield  is 
small,  but  considerable  of  the  alkaloid  is  lost  in  the  process  of  purifi- 
cation.  In  working  large  amounts,  an  increased  yield  would  result 
after  the  first  batch. 
Properties. — This  alkaloid  is  white,  odorless,  tasteless,  and  practi- 
Fig.  1. — Hydrocklorate  of  Asiminine,  magnified. 
©ally  insoluble  in  water.  It  dissolves  freely  in  ether  and  alcohol;  less 
freely  in  chloroform  and  benzol.  Upon  evaporation  of  the  solvents, 
it  separates  in  an  amorphous  condition  and  we  did  not  succeed  in 
crystallizing  it.  The  soluble  salts  are  bitter,  and  produce  copious 
precipitates  with  the  usual  alkaloidal  reagents.  Salts  of  asiminine 
and  the  usual  acids  employed  in  the  commercial  production  of  alka- 
loidal salts,  dissolve  freely  in  water  (excepting  the  hydrochlorate, 
which  is  less  soluble),  producing  bitter  liquids,  from  which  dilute 
alkalis  precipitate  the  alkaloid.  We  did  not  succeed  in  crystallizing 
either  the  nitrate  or  the  acetate,  but  the  hydrochlorate  crystallizes 
