626  The  Alkaloids  of  Bit  a  Bark,  {"""b^ecTis^o"'"' 
a  supersaturated  solution,  from  which  the  salt  immediately  crystallizes 
on  the  addition  of  a  couple  of  drops  of  hydrochloric  acid.  It  is 
almost  insoluble  in  concentrated  hydrochloric  acid  and  solution  of 
chloride  of  sodium.  A  large  number  of  other  salts,  which  have  been 
prepared  and  examined  by  the  author,  are  described  in  detail  in  the 
original  paper.  The  author  also  describes  an  oxidation  product, 
which  he  provisionally  calls  "  oxyechitamine,"  produced  when  a  solu- 
tion of  the  base  is  allowed  to  evaporate  while  exposed  to  the  air. 
Echttenine. — Echitenine  remains  in  the  first  mother-liquor  after  the 
precipitation  of  the  echitammonium  chloride.  It  may  be  obtained 
either  by  precipitating  with  mercuric  chloride  and  decomposing  the 
precipitate  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  etc.,  or  by  saturating  the 
mother-liquor  with  soda,  shaking  with  chloroform  and  evaporating,  in 
either  case  manipulating  so  as  to  get  the  hydrochloric  compound  of 
the  alkaloid  in  concentrated  solution.  This  is  done  by  simply  evap- 
orating the  solution  resulting  from  the  decomposition  of  the  mercuric 
salt,  or  in  the  other  case  dissolving  the  chloroform  residue  in  con- 
centrated hydrochloric  acid.  After  standing  some  time  the  clear 
solution  is  filtered,  supersaturated  with  soda  solution  and  shaken  with 
chloroform.  The  chloroform  solution  is  then  washed  with  water, 
treated  with  animal  charcoal  and  finally  evaporated,  when  the  echi- 
tenine is  left  as  a  brownish  residue.  After  perfect  drying,  this  residne 
becomes  very  brittle  and  springs  in  brownish  lamellae  from  the  sides 
of  the  vessel.  It  retains  some  chloroform,  which  is  only  driven  off 
completely  at  a  temperature  of  ioo°C.  The  dry  substance,  when 
analyzed,  gave  results  corresponding  with  the  formula  C20H27NO4. 
Echitenine  forms,  when  pulverized,  a  brownish  strongly  bitter  tasting 
powder,  which  melts  at  above  I20°C.  It  dissolves  with  a  reddish- 
violet  color  in  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  and  in  concentrated  nitric 
acid  with  a  purple  color,  passing  quickly  into  green  and  finally  into 
yellow.  If  the  powder  is  simply  exposed  to  the  vapor  of  nitric  acid 
it  becomes  colored  an  intensely  blue-green. 
Echitenine  dissolves  freely  in  alcohol,  imparting  to  it  an  alkaline 
reaction.  It  also  dissolves  readily,  especially  when  freshly  precipi- 
tated, in  chloroform  and  ether,  less  readily  in  water,  and  in  petroleum 
spirit  it  is  almost  insoluble.  Its  solution  in  dilute  hydrochloric  acid 
gives  a  yellow  flocculent  precipitate  upon  the  addition  of  potassium  or 
sodium  hydrate,  as  also  doss  ammonia  if  the  solution  be  moderately 
