42 
Strychnine. 
/  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I        Jan.,  1892. 
and  is  only  very  sparingly  soluble  in  cold  water  and  alcohol,  and 
insoluble  in  ether,  but  it  dissolves  freely  in  alkaline  carbonates.  It 
gives  a  nitroso-derivative  on  treatment  with  nitrous  acid,  and,  when 
boiled  with  dilute  acids,  it  is  converted  into  strychnine  methiodide , 
C21H22N202,MeI  +  H20.  The  sodium  salt,  C22H%N203INa  -f  H2C>, 
prepared  by  heating  strychnic  acid  with  methyl  iodide  and  alcoholic 
soda,  or  by  dissolving  the  methiodide  of  strychnic  acid  in  methyl 
alcoholic  soda,  crystallizes  in  long  needles,  and  is  very  readily  solu- 
ble in  water  and  methyl  alcohol,  but  only  sparingly  in  boiling 
alcohol ;  the  corresponding  silver  salt  is  a  colorless,  gelatinous, 
unstable  compound. 
Me  thy  I  strychnic  acid  methiodide,  C^H^N^gMel  -f-  H20,  is  obtained 
by  treating  an  aqueous  solution  of  dimethylstrychnine  with  hydri- 
odic  acid,  and,  also,  together  with  its  methyl  salt,  by  heating  a 
methyl  alcoholic  solution  of  the  sodium  salt  of  strychnic  acid  meth- 
iodide with  methyl  iodide.  It  crystallizes  from  boiling  water  in 
small  needles,  loses  its  water  at  1300,  and  is  moderately  easily 
soluble  in  hot  alcohol,  but  insoluble  in  ether  ;  when  treated  with  a 
little  silver  nitrate  and  concentrated  nitric  acid,  it  gives  the  same 
blood-red  coloration  as  dimethylstrychnine.  The  methyl  salt, 
CgoHogNoOgMe.Mel,  separates  from  boiling  water  in  short  needles, 
-and  is  only  sparingly  soluble  in  alcohol  and  chloroform  and  insoluble 
in  ether  and  benzene ;  when  treated  with  freshly-precipitated  silver 
oxide,  it  is  converted  into  a  strongly  alkaline  substance  which  is- 
decomposed  on  boiling  with  formation  of  dimethylstrychnine. 
Methylstrychnine  is  highly  poisonous,  and  feebly  laevorotatory  • 
it  gives  the  same  color  reactions  as  strychnic  acid.  When  treated 
with  nitrous  acid  in  aqueous  solution,  it  is  converted  into  a  crystal- 
line nitrosamine,  and,  when  boiled  with  sodium  ethoxide,  it  is 
transformed  into  a  feeble  base  of  the  composition  C24H30N2O3 ;  this 
substance  crystallizes  from  boiling  alcohol  in  small  needles,  melts  at 
1 5 8°,  and  is  very  readily  soluble  in  benzene,  chloroform,  and  glacial 
acetic  acid,  but  almost  insoluble  in  water. 
A  nitroso-derivative  is  obtained  as  a  yellow  precipitate  when 
dimethylstrychnine  is  treated  with  amyl  nitrite  in  alcoholic  hydro- 
chloric acid  solution;  it  is  a  semi-crystalline,  very  deliquescent 
powder,  and  when  dried  at  ioo°  in  an  atmosphere  of  hydrogen,  it 
has  the  composition  C23H29N304C12. 
Isostrychnic  acid,  CaoH22NO(COOH):NH  +  H20,  is  best  prepared. 
