Alkaloids  of  Veratrum  Viride  and  Album.  {^^iw**™' 
Hydrochloric  acid  fails  to  produce  any  marked  coloration  or  to  dissolve 
the  pure  alkaloid,  immediately  converting  it  into  the  chloride,  which  is 
insoluble  in  the  presence  of  the  free  acid,  although  somewhat  soluble 
in  pure  water. 
The  foregoing  mineral  acids  occasion  the  following  reactions  with 
one  grain  of  a  i-iooth  solution  of  the  alkaloid,  in  the  form  of  acetate  : 
I.  Sulphuric  acid,  dilute  (1:5), 
produces  an  immediate  turbidity, 
and  in  a  few  moments  a  dense 
dull-white  amorphous  precipitate, 
which  soon  becomes  more  or  less 
granular.  After  a  time,  the  de- 
posit consists  of  more  or  less  cir- 
cular, nodular  masses,  and  espe- 
cially along  the  margin  of  the  de- 
posit, fine  groups  of  long,  very 
delicate  crystalline  needles.  Fig.  2. 
These  circular  masses  generally 
appear,  under  the  microscope,  of  a 
75  diam.  brownish  color.    The  reaction  of 
this  acid  is  quite  peculiar  to  this  alkaloid. 
2.  Nitric  acid  of  sp.  gr.  1.20, 
occasions  an  immediate,  copious 
precipitate,  which  in  a  little  time 
becomes  converted  into  nodular 
masses,  some  of  which  are  spinated. 
If  the  jervia  solution  contains 
excess  of  free  acetic  acid,  espe- 
cially if  a  minute  drop  of  this  acid 
be  added  after  the  reagents,  the 
precipitate  soon  becomes  convert- 
ed into  a  mass  of  crvstals  of  the 
forms  illustrated  in  Fig.  3. 
Nitrate  of  Potassium*  produces 
J  r  FIG.  3.      I-IOO  GRAIN  JERVIA  -}-  NITRIC 
with  a  neutral  (i-iooth)  solution  acid.    75  diam. 
FIG.  I.     I-IOO  CRAIN  JERVIA  -f-  SULPHURIC 
ACID 
This  reagent  has  been  proposed  as  a  valuable  test  for  the  alkaloid  by  Mr.  Chas. 
Bullock,  in  a  paper  in  the  October  number  of  this  Journal,  which  came  to  hand 
about  the  time  we  had  completed  our  examinations. 
