DEPORTMENT  OF  ALKALOIDS  WITH  REAGENTS,  ETC.  547 
+ 
a.  Strychnia,  or  Strychnine  (C42  H22  N2  Oi  =  Sr.) 
X.  Strychnia  appears  either  in  the  form  of  white  brilliant 
rhombic  prisms,  or,  when  produced  by  precipitation  or  rapid 
evaporation,  as  a  white  powder.  It  has  an  exceedingly  bitter 
taste.  It  is  nearly  insoluble  in  cold,  and  barely  soluble  in  hot 
water.  It  is  almost  insoluble  in  absolute  alcohol  and  ether,  and 
only  sparingly  soluble  in  dilute  spirit  of  wine.  It  dissolves 
freely  in  amyl-alcohol,  more  especially  with  the  aid  of  heat.  It 
does  not  fuse  when  heated.    It  is  exceedingly  poisonous. 
2.  Strychnia  neutralizes  acids  completely.  The  salts  of 
strychnia  are,  for  the  most  part,  crystallizable ;  they  are  solu- 
ble in  water.  All  the  salts  of  strychnia  have  an  intolerably  bit- 
ter taste  and  are  exceedingly  poisonous. 
3.  Potassa  and  carbonate  of  soda  produce  in  solutions  of  salts 
of  strychnia  white  precipitates  of  strychnia,  which  are  insolu- 
ble in  an  excess  of  the  precipitants.  Viewed  under  a  micro- 
scope magnifying  one  hundred  times  the  precipitate  appears  as 
an  aggregate  of  small  crystalline  needles.  From  dilute  solu- 
tions the  strychnia  separates  only  after  the  lapse  of  some  time, 
in  the  form  of  crystalline  needles,  which  are  distinctly  visible 
even  to  the  naked  eye. 
4.  Ammonia  produces  the  same  precipitate  as  potassa.  The 
precipitate  redissolves  in  an  excess  of  ammonia ;  but  after  a 
short  time — or  if  the  solution  is  highly  dilute,  after  a  more  con- 
siderable lapse  of  time — the  strychnia  crystallizes  from  the 
ammoniacal  solution  in  the  form  of  needles,  which  are  distinctly 
visible  to  the  naked  eye. 
5.  Bicarbonate  of  soda  produces  in  neutral  solutions  of  salts 
of  strychnia  a  precipitate  of  strychnia,  which  separates  in  fine 
needles  shortly  after  the  addition  of  the  reagent,  and  is  insolu- 
ble in  an  excess  of  the  precipitant.  But  upon  adding  one  drop 
of  acid  (so  as  to  leave  the  fluid  still  alkaline)  the  precipitate 
dissolves  readily  in  the  liberated  carbonic  acid.  The  addition 
of  bicarbonate  of  soda  to  an  acid  solution  of  strychnia  causes  no 
precipitation,  and  it  is  only  after  the  lapse  of  twenty-four  hours, 
or  even  a  longer  period,  that  strychnia  crystallizes  from  the 
fluid  in  distinct  prisms,  in  proportion  as  the  free  carbonic  acid 
escapes.    If  a  concentrated  solution  of  strychnia,  supersaturated 
