570  New  Constituent  of  Liver  Oil.  {^°'nov.?iI?8^''"'" 
recognized  with  certainty.  The  alkaloid  is  of  greater  stability,  and  is 
not  liable  to  decomposition  even  \yhen  mixed  with  organic  substances 
in  an  advanced  stage  of  putrefaction.  The  usual  chemical  processes 
for  isolation  do  not  produce  any  changes  in  the  alkaloid.  The  best 
reagents  for  the  detection  of  colchicine  are — nitric  acid,  which  gives  a 
violet  color,  and  a  mixture  of  nitric  and  sulphuric  acids,  which  give  a 
green,  changing  to  dark  blue,  violet,  and  yellow.  Of  these,  nitric 
acid  is  the  best. 
^  NEW  CONSTITUENT  OF  LIVER  OIL.^ 
By  H.  Marpmann. 
The  author  states  that  by  washing  liver  oil  with  95  per  cent,  alco- 
hol he  has  obtained  a  peculiar  substance,  which  is  easily  soluble  in  water, 
and  insoluble  in  alcohol,  ether  and  benzene.  According  to  the  age 
and  color  liver  oil  dissolves  more  or  less  readily  in  alcohol ;  but  even 
when  sixty  parts  of  alcohol  are  used  to  one  part  of  oil  a  perfect  solu- 
tion is  not  obtained,  there  being  always  a  residue  of  insoluble  fat  acids, 
which  are  dissolved  by  hot  alcohol  and  by  ether,  but  not  by  cold  alco- 
hol. As  the  substance  in  question  is  somewhat  soluble  in  hot  alcohol, 
the  last  traces  of  the  insoluble  compounds  were  washed  out  by  means 
of  cold  alcohol,  and  the  material  worked  upon  was  not  the  solution  of 
oil  in  alcohol  but  the  portion  washed  out  of  it  on  account  of  its  insol- 
ubility. 
This  insoluble  residue  after  repeated  shaking  with  alcohol,  was  mixed 
with  water  and  filtered.  The  portion  soluble  in  water  was,  however, 
so  small  that  the  author  is  only  able  at  present  to  give  the  general  re- 
actions of  the  aqueous  solution.  It  had  a  faintly  acid  reaction,  rota- 
ted polarized  light  to  the  left,  gave  with  lead  acetate  and  with  tannic 
acid  a  slight  turbidity,  and  was  not  altered  by  potassium  ferrocyanide. 
A  dilute  solution  gave  with  ferric  chloride  no  reaction,  but  a  concen- 
trated solution  assumed  with  it  a  dark  yellow  color,  which  upon  boil- 
ing became  blood  red,  and  again  yellow  upon  cooling.  The  solution 
upon  boiling  was  not  changed  by  strong  nitric  acid,  ammonia,  or  po- 
tassium hydrate.  On  the  other  hand  it  reduced  alkaline  copper  solu- 
tion. Upon  mixing  the  solution  with  orcin  and  hydrochloric  acid  in 
a  porcelain  dish,  and  evaporating  on  a  water-bath  to  dryness  there  re- 
iFrom  the  Pharmaceutische  Centralhalle,  August  23,  reprinted  from  Phar.  Jour, 
and  Trans.,  Oct.  13,  p.  288. 
