114 
ON THE CONSTITUTION OF BEBEEltlNE. 
and moist hydrated oxide of lead. The magma thus formed 
is then dried over the water-bath, and the alkali is taken up 
by absolute alcohol. On distilling off the spirit, the organic 
base is left in the form of a transparent orange-yellow resi- 
nous mass, as described in the paper above quoted. This, 
on being dried, pulverized, and treated with successive por- 
tions of pure aether, is in great part dissolved in this fluid. 
The dissolved portion, on distilling oif the ether, is obtained 
in the form of a translucent, amorphous, but homogeneous 
resinous-looking substance, of a pale yellow colour, and pos- 
sessed of all the properties of an organic alkali. This is 
pure bebeerine, as described in April, 1S43. 
Bebeerine thus obtained does not crystallize. It is very 
soluble in alcohol, less so in ether, and very sparingly in 
water. Heated, it fuses ; and the heat being continued, it 
swells up, giving off vapours of a strong peculiar odour, and 
burns without residue. Subjected to the action of oxidizing 
agents, it gives with bichromate of potash and sulphuric 
acid, a black, and with nitric acid a yellow resin. It forms 
with acids salts which are all uncrystallizable ; with per- 
chloride of gold, mercury, copper, iron and platinum, it gives 
precipitates which are soluble to a certain extent in hot 
water and alcohol, but which on the solution cooling, are 
not deposited from it in a crystalline form. 
When precipitated by ammonia from its solution in acids, 
it is obtained in the form of a very pale yellow powder. 
This was examined with a view to determine whether or 
not it was a hydrate of the alkali. It was washed, dried in 
vacuo over sulphuric acid, and heated in an oil-bath. At 
10S° Fahr. it began to soften, and at 370° it fused into a 
transparent brown resinous mass. It did not sensibly lose 
weight during the process, and had undergone no change in 
properties from exposure to this temperature, as it retained 
its perfect solubility in acids, and formed with them the 
usual bright yellow solution. 
