AmAp°nVi879.rm  I         Constituents  of  Sanguinaria.  173. 
seems  to  differ  decidedly  from  the  porphyroxin  of  Merck,  from  opium,, 
and  is  not  colored  by  nitric  acid  ;  is  dissolved  by  dilute  acids,  but  does 
not  become  red  on  boiling.  Both  the  supposed  alkaloid  and  its  salts 
give  a  deep  blue  or  purple  color  with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  very 
much  intensified  by  the  addition  of  a  small  piece  of  bichromate  of 
potassium. 
In  a  second  experiment  the  root  was  percolated  and  the  sanguinarina 
precipitated  as  before  ;  the  alkaloid  separated  and  the  filtrate  neutralized 
by  hydrochloric  acid  until  a  slight  acid  reaction  was  obtained.  A  solu- 
tion of  iodo-hydrargyrate  of  potassium  was  added  as  long  as  a  precipi- 
tate was  formed  ;  this  was  separated  from  the  dark  brown  filtrate  (x)r 
washed  and  dried.  It  was  then  digested  in  a  strong  solution  of  carbon- 
ate of  sodium,  to  decompose,  and  evaporated  to  dryness.  The  resi- 
due was  treated  with  hot  stronger  alcohol  as  long  as  it  removed  any- 
thing. This  gave  a  deep  red  tincture,  which  was  acidulated  with 
hydrochloric  acid  and  an  equal  bulk  of  water  added  ;  this  threw  down 
a  yellow  precipitate,  which  was  separated  from  the  liquid  (a).  The 
precipitate  was  insoluble  in  water  and  petroleum  benzin,  partly  soluble 
in  ether,  chloroform  and  the  caustic  alkalies.  It  fused  at  a  gentle  heat  j. 
at  a  higher  temperature  it  burned,  leaving  no  residue,  and  giving  off  the 
peculiar  odor  noticed  in  burning  the  so-called  porphyroxin.  It  was 
wholly  uncrystallizable,  decomposed  by  concentrated  nitric,  and  not 
changed  by  muriatic  acid.  With  sulphuric  acid,  concentrated,  it  gave 
the  same  beautiful  deep  purple  color  noticed  above  ;  and,  like  it,  deep- 
ened by  chromic  acid,  gradually  fading,  and  finally  disappearing.  It 
was  separated  into  two  portions  by  ether,  the  insoluble  portion  of  a 
grey  brown  color,  the  etherial  solution  of  a  light  yellow  color  in  trans- 
mitted light  and  red  in  reflected  light.  This  solution  evaporated  left  a 
yellow  colored  residue,  of  a  resinous  nature,  which  gave  the  purple 
color  reaction,  as  did  also  the  insoluble  portion,  the  two  differing 
slightly  in  the  shades  of  color  produced.  On  treating  the  original 
resin  with  chloroform,  the  results  were  almost  identical  with  those 
obtained  by  ether  in  regard  to  solubility  and  reactions.  The  portion 
insoluble  in  chloroform  was  dissolved  in  a  small  quantity  of  alcohol,, 
and  hydrate  of  potassium  added  ;  this  produced  the  separation  of  a 
yellowish-white  precipitate.  A  crystal  of  bicarbonate  of  potassium 
was  added  to  convert  the  hydrate  into  carbonate,  insoluble  in  alcohol. 
The  whole  was  then  shaken  with  ether,  the  ether  removed  and  evapo- 
