Am.  Jour.  Pharni. ) 
Dec,  1880.  ; 
The  Alkaloids  of  Dita  Bark. 
625 
Echitammon'iumhydroxide . — Echi tarn mcnium hydroxide  dissolves  toler- 
ably readily  in  water,  and  still  more  easily  in  alcohol,  communicating 
to  the  solution  a  strongly  basic  reaction.  It  dissolves  u'hen  freshly 
precipitated  rather  easily  in  chloroform  and  ether,  but  is  very  slightly 
soluble  in  coal  benzin  and  nearly  insoluble  in  petroleum  spirit.  When 
the  alkaloid  has  assumed  the  crystalline  form  it  dissolves  with  difficulty 
in  ether.  Both  the  ethereal  and  the  chloroform  solutions,  upon  spon- 
taneous evaporation,  leave  the  alkaloid  in  the  amorphous  condition, 
though  sometimes  the  amorphous  mass  shows  distinct  traces  of  crys- 
tallization. 
The  aqueous  solution  of  echitammoniumhydroxide  throws  down 
from  solutions  of  cupric  chloride,  ferric  chloride  and  alum  the  oxy- 
hydrates,  without  redissolving  these  precipitates.  In  solution  of  acetate 
of  lead  the  solution  produces  a  voluminous  precipitate  of  hydrated  oxide 
of  lead,  which  is  partially  redissolved  in  the  precipitant.  Echitam- 
moniumhydroxide also  displaces  the  ammonia  from  chloride  of  ammo- 
nium, and  sets  free  the  alkaline  hydrates  from  solution  of  sodium  and 
potassium  chlorides,  echitammonium  chloride  being  formed  and  sepa- 
rating in  crystals.  The  sodium  chloride  is  decomposed  very  quickly, 
but  potassium  chloride  requires  some  time. 
When  heated  quickly  in  capillary  tubes  to  2c6°C.,  echitammoni- 
umhydroxide melts  and  becomes  colored  through  the  formation  of  a 
black  scum.  It  is  optically  active,  rotating  the  beam  of  polarized 
light  to  the  left.  With  sulphuric  acid  it  is  colored  an  intense  purple- 
red,  but  the  color  becomes  paler  upon  warming.  Both  the  alkaloid 
and  its  chloride  dissolve  with  a  purple-red  color  in  concentrated  nitric 
acid,  but  after  some  minutes  this  color  disappears  and  the  solution 
becomes  intensely  green.  Bromine  produces  in  the  aqueous  solution 
of  the  alkaloid  a  yellow  flocculent  precipitate  that  dissolves  upon  heat- 
ing. Anhydrous  acetic  acid  dissolves  the  base  very  readily.  Upon 
warming,  the  solution  becomes  brownish. 
Echitammonium,  the  author  thinks,  is  probably  the  most  strongly 
basic  of  all  the  alkaloids  and  appears  to  be  monovalent.  It  neutral- 
izes acids  completely,  forming  salts,  some  of  which  are  crystallizable. 
The  chloride,  C22H29N2O4CI  or  CgaHjgNgO^.HCl,  is  obtained  in  color- 
less shining  needles  upon  treating  an  aqueous  solution  of  the  alka- 
loid or  one  of  its  easily  soluble  salts  with  concentrated  hydrochloric 
acid  or  solution  of  sodium  chloride.  It  dissolves  moderately  freely  in 
hot,  but  with  difficulty  in  cold  water,  forming  sometimes  in  the  latter 
40 
