^m'ii&y;mivm'}  Analysis  of  True  and  Commercial  Pareira.  259 
holic  solutions  through  or  digesting  them  in  charcoal,  the  alcohol 
only  passed  through  the  filter  leaving  the  alkaloid  behind.  I  hey 
were  separated  again  by  digesting  the  charcoal  in  dilute  sulphuric 
acid,  and  then  precipitating  with  ammonia  or  sodium  carbonate. 
The  alkaloid  isolated  by  this  method  fron^  the  true  root  was  at 
first  of  a  white  color,  but  on  drying  changed  to  a  light  yellow.  It 
was  amorphous,  and  did  not  readily  melt  at  1450  C,  although  a 
change  occurred  at  that  temperature.  When  heated  strongly  in  a 
dry  test  tube  it  melted,  charred  and  swelled  up,  giving  off  a  strong, 
peculiar  odor  which  somewhat  resembled  that  obtained  from 
beberine. 
The  alkaloid  from  the  false  was  of  a  somewhat  darker  color  than 
that  from  the  true  and  on  drying  still  further  darkened.  The  melt- 
ing-point of  this  was  not  taken  on  account  of  the  small  quantity 
obtained  for  experiment.    It  also  was  amorphous. 
Both  alkaloids  were  insoluble  in  water,  but  freely  soluble  in  abso- 
lute alcohol  and  ether. 
The  following  experiments  were  made  on  both  alkaloids : 
COI.OR  REACTIONS. 
False.  Reagent.  True. 
Dirty  green  changing  Frohde's.  Brownish-green 
slowly    to    brown,  changing  to 
finally     to     slate  light-brOwn. 
color. 
Red-brown,    remain-  Nitric  acid.  Vandyke  or  black- 
ing so.  brown  becoming 
lighter. 
Slight    green    tint,  Sulphuric  Light  brown, 
then  deep,  brown.  acid. 
The  alkaloids  were  then  converted  into  the  hydrochlorides  and 
eventually  with  great  difficulty  were  obtained  in  a  partially  crystal- 
line form  by  slow  evaporation  from  alcohol.  Both  salts  were  similar, 
the  crystals  being  needle-shaped  and  very  small. 
They  were  then  converted  into  the  platino-chlorides,  which  seemed 
to  resemble  one  another  very  closely,  being  both  amorphous  and  of 
the  same  color,  almost  insoluble  in  cold  and  sparingly  soluble  in 
boiling  water.  The  melting  point  of  the  platino-chloride  from  the 
true  was  2420  C,  whilst  that  obtained  from  the  substitute  was 
221°  C. 
We  do  not  think  these  melting  points  can  be  taken  as  indicating 
