Am  Jour.  Pharm  1 
May,  1883.  / 
Gelsemine  and  Crystalline  Salts. 
259 
purity,  it  was  thought  desirable  to  submit  it  and  some  of  its  compounds 
to  combustion. 
REACTIONS  ASCRIBED  TO  GELSEMINE. 
Gerrard. 
:Strong  nitric  acid  No  reaction. 
■Strong  sulphuric  No  reaction, 
acid. 
::Sulphuric  acid 
and  manganic 
oxide. 
Strong  sulphuric 
acid,  and  bi- 
chromate of 
potasli  in  cryst- 
al. 
'Gold  chloride, 
P 1  a  t  i  n  um  chlo- 
ride. 
Potash  mercuric 
iodide. 
Gives  a  damask  red 
color,     passing  to 
green  or  blue. 
A  crimson  evanescent 
redness  passing  to  a 
green  color. 
Yellow  precipitate, 
soluble  when  heated 
Amorphous  yellow 
precipitate,  soluble 
in  water  on  heating. 
White  precipitate, 
which  dissolves  on 
heating  &  separates 
on  cooling. 
Sonnenschein. 
Yellow-green  color. 
Yellow-green,  passing 
to  red  dish -brown 
color  and  upon  heat- 
ing to  dark  red. 
A  cherry-red  color, 
changing  a  little  to 
violet,  whicli  soon 
form  a  biuish-green 
spot. 
Yellow  percipitate,  not 
altered  by  heat. 
Amorphous  yellow 
precipitate,  soluble 
in  water  on  heating. 
A  white  precipitate 
which  dissolves  on 
heating  and  separ 
ates  on  cooling. 
Wormley. 
Brownish-green, 
changing     to  deep 
green  color. 
Dissolves  with  a  red 
or  brown  color  which 
after  a  time  assumes 
a  pinkish  hue. 
Warmed  it  acquires  a 
chocolate  or  violet 
color. 
Reddish-purple 
streaks    along  the 
path  of  the  crystal. 
Three  determinations  of  nitrogen  were  made  by  the  absolute  method 
from  the  pure  alkaloid,  and  the  following  percentages  by  weight  cal- 
culated :— 7,  7-3  and  6-9. 
Four  combustions  with  cupric  oxide  and  copper  of  quantities  varying 
from  '100  to  '200  gram  gave  the  following  percentage  of  carbon  and 
Jiydrogen : 
C.  H. 
1  70-4  7-2 
2  701  7.3 
3  70-3  6-9 
4  70.45  7-3 
Taking  the  oxygen  by  difference  these  figures  admit  the  construction 
of  the  following  formula  for  gelsemine,  CigHj^NOg,  for  which  theory 
requires  70-6  C,  6-86  H,  6-86  N,  and  15'68  O. 
The  chlorine  was  estimated  from  the  hydrochloride,  and  8*1  percent, 
found,  showing  the  composition  of  this  salt  to  be  (Ci2Hi4N02)2HCl, 
which  requires  7*96  per  cent,  chlorine.  In  like  manner,  the  hydro- 
bromide  was  found  to  yield  16-21  percent  bromine=(Cj2Hi4N02)2HBr, 
which  requires  16*3  per  cent. 
The  platinum  and  gold  salts  of  the  alkaloid  were  purified  and  burnt; 
