AmblZis7Tm  }        Alkaloid  of  Baptisia  Tinctoria.  579 
cessively  agitated  with  the  different  simple  solvents  with  the  following 
results:  On  evaporating  the  benzol  that  had  been  shaken  with  the 
mass,  and  adding  a  little  distilled  water  to  the  small  amount  of  residue, 
no  blue  color  was  communicated  to  reddened  litmus  paper,  and  no  pre- 
cipitates were  formed  by  the  acidified  solution  with  the  above-mentioned 
tests.  Absence  of  the  blue  color  and  of  the  precipitates  was  also 
noticed  when  benzin  and  chloroform,  that  had  been  agitated  with  the 
mass,  were  treated  in  a  similar  manner.  Ether,  on  the  contrary,  dis- 
solved the  alkaloid  from  the  magnesia  mass,  the  residue  therefrom, 
when  moistened  with  distilled  water,  staining  the  reddened  litmus 
paper  a  deep  blue,  and  when  dissolved  in  acidulated  water  affording 
precipitates  with  the  above-named  reagents.  Hence,  it  will  be  seen 
that  we  have  for  this  alkaloid  solubility  in  water,  alcohol  and  ether,  and 
insolubility  in  benzol,  benzin  and  chloroform.  From  the  insolubility 
of  this  alkaloid  in  chloroform  it  will  be  evident  that  the  crystals  obtained 
in  the  process  used  by  the  last-mentioned  experimenter  could  not  have 
been  those  of  the  chloride  of  this  alkaloid,  which,  although  undoubtedly 
present  in  an  uncombined  state  in  the  concentrated  solution,  after  treat- 
ment with  carbonate  of  ammonia  was  not  removed  from  it  by  the  use 
of  chloroform. 
A  larger  quantity  (8  troyounces)  of  the  powdered  root  of  the  Baptisia 
tinctoria  was  subsequently  percolated  as  before,  and  the  filtered  solution 
evaporated  to  dryness  with  calcined  magnesia.  The  dried  mass  was 
extracted  with  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  and  this  solution  evaporated  to  a 
small  bulk.  Distilled  water  was  added  in  large  quantity,  and  the  liquid 
filtered  to  remove  the  deposited  resin.  A  solution  of  tannic  acid  was 
then  added  to  the  clear  filtrate  as  long  as  a  precipitate  was  formed. 
When  the  precipitated  tannate  had  subsided  it  was  transformed  to  a 
filter,  washed  with  distilled  water,  and,  while  still  moist,  removed  to  a 
mortar,  intimately  mixed  with  finely  pulverized  oxide  of  lead,  and  the 
mass  thoroughly  dried  in  a  capsule,  after  which  it  was  extracted  with 
ether.  On  evaporating  the  ether  there  remained  a  considerable  quan- 
tity of  the  same  yellowish,  semi-transparent,  gummy  mass  that  had 
been  obtained  in  the  first  experiment.  A  small  portion  of  this  mass, 
ignited  on  platinum  foil,  left  no  inorganic  residue. 
In  order  to  separate  the  alkaloid  from  the  foreign  matter  contained 
in  this  mass  it  was  determined  to  resort  to  the  use  of  oleic  acid,  in  the 
manner  lately  recommended  by  L.  Wolff  ("Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  Jan., 
