132 
Cinchona  Alkaloids. 
J  Am  Jour.  Pharm.. 
\      Mar.,  18^9. 
ment).  The  separated  quinia  is  increased  in  quantity  with  the  excess 
of  solution  of  sulphocyanide  of  potassium  until  no  trace  of  quinia  can 
be  detected  in  the  solution  with  ammonia.  If,  on  the  contrary,  the 
solution  of  the  sulphate  is  increased  the  precipitate  diminishes,  and  at 
last  the  reaction  ceases  entirely. 
The  microscopic  test,  where  equal  parts  of  the  solutions  of  sulpho- 
cyanide of  potassium  and  sulphate  of  quinia  are  used,  exhibits  at  the 
point  of  contact  a  very  slight  separation  of  minute  drops,  which  are 
replaced  in  a  few  minutes  by  needles  arranged  into  many-rayed  stellate 
groups.  The  number  of  these  groups  is  scant.  I  was  unable  to 
obtain  with  really  pure  sulphate  the  reaction  described  by  Godeffroy 
(see  "Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1878,  p.  179,  Fig.  1). 
Sulphate  of  Cinchonidia. — If  one  drop  of  solution  of  sulphocy- 
anide of  potassium  is  brought  in  contact  with  1  cc.  of  the  sulphate 
solution  at  ordinary  temperature,  it  will  become  milky,  due  to  the  sepa- 
ration of  sulphocyanide  of  cinchonidia  in  an  amorphous  condition  ;  this 
soon  changes  to  concentrically  grouped  delicate  needles.  If  the  sul- 
phate solution  was  boiling  hot,  a  faint  turbidity  will  appear  a  few 
minutes  after  the  addition  of  the  sulphocyanide  solution,  which  soon 
disappears  as  larger  needles  are  formed.  Sulphocyanide  of  cinchonidia 
is  so  completely  precipitated  from  its  aqueous  solution  by  an  excess  of 
sulphocyanide  of  potassium,  that  ammonia  will  not  produce  a  precipi- 
tate ;  proving  conclusively  that,  contrary  to  Schrage,  sulphocyanide  of 
cinchonidia  is  insoluble  in  an  excess  of  sulphocyanide  of  potassium. 
Regarding  the  microscopic  test  it  will  be  found  that  on  using  the  cooled 
saturated  sulphate  solution,  a  large  quantity  of  oil-like  globules  will 
instantly  be  formed,  but  these  soon  give  way  to  the  formation  of  con- 
centrically arranged  needles. 
Sulphate  of  Homocinchonidia. — Its  reaction  with  the  test  liquid 
is  almost  identical  with  that  of  sulphate  of  cinchonidia.  Apparently 
the  conversion  of  the  sulphocyanide  from  its  amorphous  into  its  crys- 
talline state  is  somewhat  more  rapid  than  in  the  former  alkaloid. 
Besides  the  stellate  formations,  isolated  needles  are  discerned. 
Sulphate  of  Quinidia  (Conchinia).'— Sulphocyanide  of  quinidia,  as 
formerly  stated,  dissolves  at  20°C.  in  1477  parts  of  water,  and  conse- 
1  Schrage  calls  this  alkaloid  0  quinidia,  because  Kerner,  in  1862,  adopted  this  name, 
and  because  in  consequence  of  the  adoption  of  his  well-known  test  by  .  the  German 
