'•}    Conversion  of  Brucia  into  Strychnia.  345 
Table  of  Results — (Continued). 
Mcifiu/acttirer . 
IVith  Nitrate  Silver. 
With  Oxal. 
A  in  J  no  It. 
IVitk  CJilor. 
Barium. 
Ferrocy. 
Potass. 
Glu- 
cose. 
Slight  blue  color;  no  pre- 
cipitate. 
No  precipit. 
No  precipit. 
No 
change. 
None, 
Blue  color  ;  no  precipitate 
No  effect. 
No  precipit. 
u 

Price  
Brownish  color ;  slight  pre- 
cipitate. 
No  effect. 
No  precipit. 
Sarg  
Bluish  color;  no  precipitate. 
Slightly  opa- 
lescent. 
No  precipit. 
Slight  brown  color ;  no  pre- 
cipitate. 
No  effect. 
No  precipit. 
Reaction  varying. 
Varying. 
r 
i 
CONVERSION  OF  BRUCIA  INTO  STRYCHNIA. 
BY   PROF,    F.   L.  SONNENSCHEIN, 
Brucia  Q^^^^f^^  and  strychnia  C21H22N2O2  differ,  apparently,  con- 
siderably in  their  composition  ;  but  the  former  may  be  easily  converted 
into  the  latter.  Referring  to  the  formulas,  it  will  be  seen  that  strychnia 
is  produced  by  combining  brucia  with  4O  and  eliminating  2H2O  and 
2CO2.  This  is  effected  as  follows  :  Brucia  is  moderately  heated  with 
four  to  five  times  its  weight  of  diluted  nitric  acid,  when  a  red  coloration 
will  be  produced  and  gases  evolved,  which  cause  in  a  mixture  of  barium 
chloride  and  ammonia  a  white  precipitate  of  carbonate  of  barium.  The 
red  solution  is  concentrated  in  a  water-bath,  supersaturated  with  potassa 
and  agitated  with  ether,  which,  on  spontaneous  evaporation,  leaves  a 
reddish  mass  containing  a  red  coloring  matter,  a  yellowish  resin  and  an 
alkaloid,  which  is  obtained  pure  by  dissolving  in  an  acid  and  crystalliz- 
ing. This  base  has  the  intensely  bitter  taste  and  other  properties  of 
strychnia,  gives  the  characteristic  reactions  with  potassium  chromate, 
cerium  oxide  and  sulphuric  acid,  and  yields  with  chlorine  the  sparingly 
soluble  compound.  The  muriate  crystallizes  in  fine,  silky  needles, 
from  which  9*20  per  cent,  chlorine  were  obtained.  C21H22N2O2HCI 
contains  9*58  per  cent. 
The  conversion  of  brucia  into  strychnia  is  not  only  highly  interest- 
ing, but  it  is  likewise  of  great  importance  in  forensic  analysis,  proving 
again  that  in  such  cases  the  employment  of  oxidizing  agents  is  admis- 
sible only  with    great  caution.      A  student  who  had  received  for 
