^s«&  *!£""•}    Alkaloids  of  Baccharis  Coridifolia.  459 
with  frequent  agitation,  then  thrown  on  a  filter.  The  filtrate  of  amylic 
alcohol,  upon  evaporation,  left  the  alkaloid  in  a  crystalline  form. 
Amylic  alcohol  is  preferable  to  ether  in  this  operation  as  it  dissolves 
the  alkaloid  very  readily,  especially  with  heat,  and  a  saturated  solution 
deposits  a  very  voluminous  crystalline  mass.  Under  the  microscope 
the  crystals  appear  as  long,  delicate  needles,  sometimes  united,  and 
radiating  from  a  common  center  so  as  to  form  stars. 
Water  dissolves  the  alkaloid  sparingly;  ether  and  alcohol  dissolve  it 
with  more  facility,  but  it  is  not  very  soluble  in  them;  the  best"  solvent 
is  amylic  alcohol. 
Dissolved  in  water  the  alkaloid  gives  neither  an  alkaline  nor  an  acid 
reaction,  it  showing  no  change  of  coloir  with  vegetable  reagents.  It 
dissolves  with  greater  facility  in  boiling  water  to  which  some  drops  of 
acetic  acid  have  b-een  added.  The  acetate  that  results  if  fairly  soluble 
in  boiling  water,  but  upon  cooling  the  liquid  becomes  turbid  as  if  con- 
centrated, the  turbidity  disappearing  upon  the  addition  of  more  water. 
The  solution  of  the  acetate  gave  the  following  reactions  :  With 
sodium  phosphomolybdate  or  phosphomolybdic  acid  a  greenish-yellow 
precipitate,  disappearing  when  heated  and  reappearing  on  cooling;  with 
potassium  iodohydrargyrate,  a  yellowish-white  precipitate;  with  the 
double  iodide  of  cadmium  and  potassium,  a  light  crystalline  precipitate;, 
with  potassium  platinocyanide,  a  very  marked  turbidity  ;  with  platinum 
chloride,  a  light-yellow  precipitate,  disappearing  when  heated  and  reap- 
pearing on  cooling;  with  gold  chloride  or  picric  acid,  a  yellowish  pre- 
cipitate; with  potassium  iodoiodide  or  sodium  pfiosphoantimoniate,  a 
reddish-yellow  precipitate;  with  phosphotungstic  acid  or  mercury- 
bichloride,  a  white  precipitate;  with  potassium  ferrocyanide,  an  abund- 
ant white  precipitate;  with  potassium  ferricyanide,  a  dark  green 'colora- 
tion when  heated;  with  sodium  nitroprussiate,  a  coloration,  and  with, 
sodium  phosphoantimoniate,  potassium  sulphocyanide  or  potassium 
bichromate,  no  change.  The  author  considers  that  the  foregoing  reac- 
tions demonstrate  that  this  substance  is  an  alkaloid,  and  he  has  named 
it  "  Baccarina." 
Some  physiological  experiments  made  upon  a  sparrow  have  proved 
that  baccarina  exercises  a  toxic  action,  and  further  investigation  in  this 
direction  has  been  undertaken  be  Professor  Pirovano.  Senor  Arato 
promises  to  study  the  elementary  composition  of  the  alkaloid  and  its 
salts  with  a  fresh  quantity  of  material. — Pharm.  Journ.  and  Trans. 
July  5,  1879. 
