Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Jan.,  1892. 
Strychnine. 
43 
by  heating  strychnine  (roo  grams)  with  crystalline  barium  hydroxide 
(150  grams)  and  water  (800  grams)  at  135-1400,  then  filtering  from 
unchanged  strychnine,  and  saturating  the  hot  filtrate  with  carbonic 
anhydride  ;  the  acid  is  extracted  from  the  precipitated  barium  car- 
bonate with  dilute  soda.  The  anhydrous  compound  is  very  hygro- 
scopic, and  takes  up  1  mol.  H20  on  exposure  to  the  air;  it  resembles 
strychnic  acid  very  closely,  than  which,  however,  it  is  rather  more 
sparingly  soluble  in  water.  It  gives  the  same  color  reactions  as 
strychnic  acid,  even  after  it  l»as  been  boiled  with  acids,  and  it  is  not 
changed  by  boiling  concentrated  hydrochloric  acid  ;  it  forms  an  oily 
acetyl  derivative  and  an  oily  ethyl  salt,  and  is  highly  poisonous. 
The  hydriodide,  C21H24N203,HI  4-  2H20,  crystallizes  in  well-defined 
prisms  and  loses  1  mol.  H20  over  sulphuric  acid  in  a  vacuum,  the 
other  being  expelled  at  1  io°  ;  it  is  readily  soluble  in  hot  water,  but 
only  sparingly  in  cold  water  and  alcohol,  and  insoluble  in  ether. 
The  nitrosamine  hydrochloride,  C21H23N3Ot,HCl  -j-  2H20,  crystallizes 
from  hot  alcohol  in  needles,  and  is  readily  soluble  in  warm  water, 
but  insoluble  in  ether;  it  is  decomposed  by  boiling  water,  gives 
Liebermann's  reaction,  and,  when  warmed  with  tin  and  hydrochloric 
acid,  is  decomposed,  with  formation  of  strychnine. 
Isostry clinic  acid  methiodide,  C21H2iN203,MeI,  can  be  prepared  by 
treating  the  sodium  salt  (see  below)  with  dilute  mineral  acids,  or  by 
the  action  of  hydriodic  acid  on  an  aqueous  solution  of  isomethyl- 
strychnine  ;  it  separates  from  hot  water  in  crystals,  is  only  sparingly 
soluble  in  alcohol,  and  insoluble  in  ether ;  when  treated  with  nitrous 
acid,  it  yields  a  resinous  nitroso-derivative.  The  sodium  salt, 
QaH^NgOglNa  +  H20,  obtained  by  warming  isostrychnic  acid  with 
methyl  iodide  and  sodium  methoxide  in  methyl  alcoholic  solution, 
crystallizes  from  hot  alcohol  in  microscopic  needles,  and  is  readily 
soluble  in  water. 
Methylisostrychnic  acid  methiodide,  C22H26N203,MeI  -\-  H20,  is 
obtained,  together  with  its  methyl  salt,  by  heating  the  sodium  salt 
of  isostrychnic  acid  methiodide  with  methyl  iodide  in  methyl  alco- 
holic solution,  or  by  treating  isodimethylstrychnine  with  hydriodic 
acid  ;  it  crystallizes  from  boiling  water  in  needles,  loses  its  water  at 
1300,  melts  at  270-285 0  with  decomposition,  and  is  moderately 
easily  soluble  in  hot  alcohol,  but  insoluble  in  ether,  chloroform  and 
benzene.  The  methyl  salt,  C22H25N203Me, Mel  -f-  2 H20,  crystallizes 
from  boiling  water  in  long  needles,  loses  its  water  in  a  vacuum,  and 
