Amji?y,r*x8P79arm*}  Veratrum  Viride.  341 
treated  with  warm  diluted  acetic  acid,1  filtered  and  precipitated  while 
warm  by  caustic  soda.  The  precipitate  was  purified  by  drying,  re-solu- 
tion and  precipitation.  The  weight  of  mixed  alkaloids  obtained  was 
485  grains. 
A  better  result  was  obtained  from  a  second  pound  of  the  resin,  by 
iirst  removing  the  fatty  matter  with  benzin  and  using  two  pounds  of 
lime.  The  yield  of  alkaloids  by  the  process  of  saponifying  with  lime 
was  20  per  cent,  greater  than  by  the  ether  process. 
Volatile  Principles. — 300  grains  of  the  hard  resin,  deprived  of  fatty 
matter,  was  dissolved  in  water  by  addition  of  carbonate  of  soda  mixed 
with  a  little  caustic  soda.  The  alkaline  solution  was  submitted  to  dis- 
tillation, collecting  the  product  in  a  receiver  containing  water  acidu- 
lated with  acetic  acid.  The  distillate  was  evaporated  to  reduce  its 
volume,  made  alkaline  and  treated  with  ether.  The  result  was  negative. 
Note. — After  concluding  the  examination  recited  in  this  paper,  I  have 
seen  the  abstract  of  a  paper  read  by  Dr.  Wright  before  the  Chemical 
Society,  London,  May  15th,  "  On  the  Alkaloids  of  Veratrum  Viride," 
in  which  the  able  and  exhaustive  examinations  made  by  him  contribute 
greatly  to  our  knowledge  of  the  constituents  of  this  interesting  drug. 
The  name  "  rubijervine  "  has  been  given  by  him  to  the  alkaloid  which 
has  claimed  my  attention,  a  name  which  is  very  appropriate  to  the 
reactions  of  the  alkaloid.  The  alkaloid  which  I  found  to  crystallize 
from  solution  in  alcohol  along  with  "  rubijervine  "  is  probably  his 
*c  pseudojervine." 
The  large  amount  of  alkaloids  which  are  associated  with  the  resin, 
and  removed  from  it  only  by  saponifying  with  lime,  render  it  probable 
that  by  his  process  of  obtaining  the  alkaloids  a  considerable  amount 
escaped  his  notice. 
The  approximate  yield  of  the  bases  which  I  obtained  from  one 
pound  avoirdupois  of  the  root  by  the  ether  process  was  46*6  grains  = 
6*6 1 2  grams  per  kilo.  The  amount  obtained  by  Dr.  Wright  was 
o*8o  gram  per  kilo. 
The  amount  obtained  from  the  hard  resin  alone  by  sapjnifying  with 
lime  represented  29*7  grains  for  one  pound  of  root  =  4*21  grams  per 
kilo. 
1  Repeated  treatment  with  hot  water  containing  acetic  acid  until  two  gallons  were 
used  was  necessary  to  exhaust  the  product. 
Philadelphia,  June  6,  1879.  (To  be  continued.) 
