acid appears to convert the hard mucus (which prevents the pulverization of the seeds) into sugar, and softens the fibrous matter. An excess of caustic lime is then added to the solution, the dark solution poured off, and the precipitate pressed. It is then heated twice with alcohol of 85, the alcohol distilled off, and the residue allowed to cool. The liquor is removed from the precipitate formed, and the latter washed with cold alcohol until it ceases to be coloured. The grayish white powder is boiled with sufficient alcohol and animal charcoal, and filtered while hot. Pure strychnin crystallizes out it is used in paralysis. It unites with acids and forms salts. Brucin (C71·11 H 6.6 N 7.50 14.8). Form. C44 H25 N2 O-White rhombic prisms, with a bitter taste; poisonous, melts by heat in its crystalline water, which amounts to 16 per cent.; requires 850 of cold and 500 boiling water to dissolve it; easily soluble in alcohol, insoluble in ether. Strong NO, gives it a bright red colour; SO, makes it rose red and then yellow. Jervin is found in the root of the veratrum album. Curarin is the poisonous principle in urara poison of S. America. Corydalin, in corydalis bulbosa. Carapin, in carapus guianensis. Cusparin, in bonplandia trifoliata. Daphnin, in some species of daphne. Fumarin in fumaria officinalis. Bebeerin, from the bebeeru tree of British Guiana, by a process similar to that for extracting quinin. It is is a brownish uncrystalline substance, forming salts with acids, especially the disulphate of bebeerin, which is soluble in water, and is used as a tonic and a febrifuge. (Maclagan.) Sanguinarin, from the sanguinaria canadensis root, by means of alcohol. Azadirin, from the melea azadirachta. Capsicin, obtained by alcohol from the pods of the capsicum annuum. Crotonin, in the seeds of the croton tiglium, or croton oil plant. Burin, from the boxtree. Apirin, from the cocos lapidea. Cynapin, from the aethusa cynapium. Castin, from the vitex agnus castus. Cicutin, from the cicuta virosa. Charophyllin, from chærophyllum bulbosum. Limonin, from lemon stones. Esenbeckin, from esenbeckia febrifuga. Digitalin, from fox-glove. Eupatorin, from eupatorium cannabinum. Euphorbin, from the resin of euphorbium. Convolvulin, from scammony. Pereirin, from the pereira bark. Pelosin, from the root of the pereira parva. Охуасапthin, from the berberis vulgaris bark. Surinamin, from geoffræa Surinamensis. Jamaicin, from geoffræa inermis. Berberin, from the bark of the root of the berberis vulgaris; it is used as a tonic, and forms salts with acids. Dry chlorine renders it blood red. Piperin (C 72 H 6.5 N 4.9 O 16.7. Form. C34 H19 NO6).White 4-sided prisms, extracted by alcohol from the white pepper; without taste and smell; insoluble in water; neither acid nor alkaline; fuses at 212°. SO, converts it into a dark blood red colour, from which water again precipitates the piperin. NO, makes it reddish yellow; it is a weak alkaline base. Menispermin, white 4-sided prisms, obtained from cocculus Indicus (menispermum cocculus) after the separation of the picrotoxin, by exhausting the portion of the extract insoluble in alcohol, with acidulated water, precipitating with alkali, removing the colouring matter by some cold alcohol, and' dissolving the alkaloid in ether; the menispermin crystallizes out. Harmalin, rhombic prisms from the seeds of the peganum harmala, by extraction with acidulated water, precipitation by potash, and extraction by alcohol. Theobromin, white crystalline powder from the beans of the theobroma cacao, by extraction with hot water, precipitating with acetate of lead, and evaporating the liquor freed from lead; the theobromin is taken up by alcohol from the residue. Caffein, thein, guaranin, (C 49 79 H 5 N 28.78 O 16.12). Form, C16 H10 N4 -White bines with nitric acid. silky fibrous crystals, obtained from tea and coffee, by treating the hot infusion by subacetate of lead and ammonia; filtering the liquor; passing SH through it; filtering, and evaporating when the thein crystallizes out. It absorbs H Cl gas, and also comAccording to the most recent experiments tea leaf contains the largest amount of nutritive matter of any plant used as human food; but only a portion is extracted by the common mode of using tea. Perhaps a larger quantity of nutrition is taken up by the Tartar mode of preparing the beverage. The tea leaves are boiled with soda, which will have the effect of dissolving the casein which they contain, mixed with common salt and butter. Cyaniline (CH,N2), plates obtained by passing cyanogen through aniline. Toluidine (C,H,N,HO), a solid base, obtained by acting on nitrotoluol with HN, and SH. Cotarnin and Narcogenin are bases derived from narcotin, while Furfurin C30H12N2O6 (Fownes), is a crystalline base obtained by acting on furfurol, artificial oil of ants with NH3, and treating furfurolamide thus formed with potash. Theory of Vegetable Alkaloids. The most probable view of the nature of the alkaloids is, that they are analogous to ammonia. This parallelism has been well worked out by Dr. Hoffmann in regard to aniline. As they all contain N, it has been suggested by Fresenius, that they may contain NO4 in the same state of combination as that body exists in nitraniline (C12H,NO,N), that is, replacing an atom of hydrogen. But the facts seem scarcely reconcilable with such a limited view, since cyanogen, on uniting with aniline, forms the base cyaniline. 12 Extractive and Bitter Principles secreted by Plants allied to the These substances are extracted from plants, by means of water, or alcohol, or ether, and when bitter are the source of that peculiar taste imparted by the plant; they are generally neutral, uniting neither with acids nor bases. The nature of these substances is very imperfectly understood. Many of them are soluble in water, others only in alcohol and ether. The solutions in water and alcohol become darker coloured by exposure to the air and the absorption of oxygen. When evaporated to the consistence of syrup, they are termed ertracts, and are divisible into watery or alcoholic, according to their relations to these substances. The alcoholic extract contains all the medicinal matters. By redissolving most extracts in water or alcohol, a dark matter remains, consisting of oxidized matter, albumen, mucus, and gallic acid. It is upon a knowledge of the behaviour of these substances with reagents, that the mode of purifying bitter matters depends. Absinthin. From wormwood, by means of alcohol. Amanitin. Obtained from poisonous mushrooms. Antiarin. - - Pearly plates; from the upas antiar, extracted by alcohol; poisonous. Arthanitin. White needles from the root of the cyclamen Europæum. Asparagin. (CgN2HO6) rhombic prisms from the althæa and asparagus. Bryonin. -Yellowish white mass, from the root of the bryonia alba. Cetrarin.-From Iceland moss (Cetraria Islandica); by boiling the lichen with absolute alcohol, the cetrarin separates in grains by distillation. It is purified by washing with cold water, ether, and weak alcohol, and crystal. lizing out of absolute alcohol in fine white crystalline grains. Cornin. From cornus florida. Colocynthin. Yellow matter obtained by cold water and alcohol from colocynth, cucumis colocynthus, and is the aperient principle in the medicine of that name. Coumarin. A base yielding the odour of woodruff, hay-grass, and tonkabeans, derived from these plants. Cyclamin. From Cyclamen Europæum. Cytisin, cathartin. Both yellowish substances, apparently the same; the first extracted by alcohol from the seeds of the cytisus laburnum, the second from the cassia senna, in which plant it acts as the aperient. Columbin. Colourless rhombic prisms, bitter and neutral, extracted by alcohol from columbo root; scarcely soluble in cold water spirit and ether; SO3 make it red. Cubebin. White needles extracted from the marc of oil of cubebs (piper cubebas) by alcohol and precipitated by potash. Daphnin. - Colourless crystals from the daphne mezereum. Elaterin. An uncrystallized principle in the momordica elaterium, much used as a powerful purgative. Ergotin. A brownish red matter extracted from ergot of rye by ether and alcohol. Fraxinin. - Six-sided prisms from the bark of the ash or fraxinus excelsior, by precipitating the decoction by acetate of lead, the filtered liquor by SH, and evaporating. Gentianin. Golden bitter needles subliming by heat, soluble in hot water, alcohol, ether, and acetic acid, obtained from the powdered root of the gentiana lutea, by treating with ether; distilling off the greater portion, and allowing the remainder to evaporate spontaneously; the residue is digested in alcohol of 830; the gentianin crystallizes out. Guaiacin.- Dark yellow mass obtained by alcohol from guaicum wood. Hesperidin. White needles from citrons. Juglanin. - Dark brown bitter from the walnut, juglans regia. Imperatorin.- Colourless rhombic prisms; by ether from the root of the imperatoria ostruthium. Lactucin. - Yellowish or reddish matter from the common lettuce and other species of lactuca; obtained from the milky juice, by alcohol. Lapathin. A hard bitter from rumex obtusifolius. Liriodendrin. - Colourless scales, resembling boracic acid, from Liriodendron tulipifera. Lupulin, bitter matter of hops. Reddish yellow powder obtained from hops by alcohol, mixing the evaporated extract with water, saturating the aqueous solution with lime, and treating the evaporated residue with ether and alcohol. Meconin. Six-sided prisms obtained from an aqueous solution after precipitating morphin by NH3. The meconin separates from the filtered liquor. Menyanthin.-From the menyanthes trifoliata. Melampyrin. - Crystals from melampyrum nemorosum. Mudarin. - A pitchy matter obtained by water from the mudar, colotropis mudarii. Ilicin. Yellow crystals from holly. Scillitin. Colourless matter derived from the sap of the scilla maritima, or squills, by alcohol. Narcissin. White substance obtained by alcohol from the narcissus pseudo-narcissus. Olivin. White needles by alcohol from the resin of the olive tree. Peucedanin.-White prisims obtained by alcohol from the root of the peucedanum officinale. Phillyrin. Amorphous mass from the phillyrea media. Picrotoxin. (C12 H7 05.) Poisonous, white, 4-sided prisms; bitter, decomposing at high temperatures without melting; soluble in 150 cold 25, boiling water, 3 boiling alcohol; 'soluble in ether; obtained from cocculus indicus by means of alcohol; the picrotoxin crystalizes out, mixed with oil which is removed by pressing between paper, redissolving in alcohol, and filtering through animal charcoal. Picrolichenin, or variolarin. — Colourless octohedrons extracted by alcohol from the variolaria amara, a common lichen on trees. Plumbagin. - Orange yellow needles, from plumbago Europæa. Porphyroxin. Shining needles from opium by ether, water and ether. The last boiling with ether, codein, thebain, and porphyroxin. The first is precipitated by dissolving the three in HCl, and adding NH3, Thebain and porphyroxin fall; spirit takes up the porphyroxin. Quassin (C 66·7 H6·9 O26·3.)- Bitter small white prisms, obtained from the wood of quassia amara, by boiling the wood in chips in water, filtering, evaporating to three fourths of its bulk, throwing down pectin, &c., by slaked lime. After remaining one day in contact with the lime, the liquor is filtered and evaporated to dryness, and digested with alcohol of 830 specific gravity. Impure crystals subside, which are further purified by absolute alcohol, ether, and evaporation. This is an important tonic in medicine. Quercin. - Crystalline from Quercus robur (the oak) by alcohol. Santonin.-White 6-sided prisms from chamomile and other species of artemisia. Saponin.. -White matter from the root of soapwort, saponaria officinalis, a common plant in gardens. By means of potash converted into saponic acid. Senegin. -White substance from the polygala senega. Smilacin. - Colourless, tasteless needles, obtained by treating the root of the smilax sarsaparilla with alcohol, and evaporation, and removing the colouring matter by animal charcoal. Syringin. An uncrystalline bitter from the syringa. Xanthopicrin.- Greenish yellow needles obtained from xanthoxylum clava Herculis, by alcohol, water, and ether. Colouring Matters secreted in Plants. Colouring matters are diffused in all parts of plants; sometimes, as in madder, we find the colour in the roots—as in Indigo, derived from the whole plants; in saffron, in the flowers, in sapan in the wood. But the colour which we obtain from plants does not always exist ready prepared in the vegetable organism, but assumes its hue by ulterior preparation, as with litmus; some colouring matters are soluble in water, others in alcohol and ether. The GREEN COLOURING MATTER of leaves has been termed chlorophylle. It has been obtained from the leaves of the cratægus aria by means of ether; the extract thus procured is treated with absolute alchohol, the solution evaporated, and H Cl added to it it becomes of a fine emerald green, a dark coloured substance remaining undissolved. The chlorophylle is precipi : tated by water, washed with water, and boiled, by which a small quantity of a yellow substance dissolves. It is dissolved in caustic potash, which leaves a small portion of a black substance; it is again precipitated by acetic acid. When dried it is grass green. At 390° it gives a trace of moisture; but does not fuse; it is quite insoluble in water, but somewhat soluble in alcohol; Cl bleaches it; SO, dissolves it, with a fine emerald colour, from which water precipitates it. Polychrom. Colourless bitter crystals; soluble in hot, less soluble in cold water, and in alcohol and ether. It may be obtained from the bark of the horse-chestnut and other trees, by boiling with water, precipitating by acetate of lead-the filtered liquor precipitated by SH to remove the excess of lead, and evaporated to a syrup. The polychrome crystallizes out; it is washed with cold water, and then dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and ether; it reddens litmus, but is neutral to bases and acids. A solution of it is blue by reflected light. RED COLOURING MATTERS. - Red appears to be a favourite colour with many plants, as in the flowers of the rose, poppy, pink; it is often changed to blue by alkali, and yellow or red by acids. It may be removed by alcohol, and obtained in the form of a pink powder. The leaves and fruits of many trees assume a pink aspect in the fall of the year, due to the presence of a substance which has been called erythrophylle: it may be extracted by alcohol - the solution precipitated with acetate of lead. The filtered liquor is freed from lead by SH, evaporated, and a reddish brown matter obtained. Madder supplies the fine red colour so conspicuous in Turkeyred handkerchiefs, and other products of calico printing. The best roots (of rubia tinctorum) are obtained from the Levant, although good madder is also raised in Alsace and Holland. When 1lb. of madder roots is exhausted with 16 quarts of boiling water, and sulphuric acid added to the filtered fluid, a brown precipitate falls, which consists of six substances. It is washed with cold water, and treated with boiling alcohol, which dissolves— Alizarin, Rubiacin, Rubian, and two resins. Fresh alumina is added until the liquor loses its colour; the coloured alumina is filtered and washed with alcohol. It is boiled 3 times in a solution of carbonate of potash, which leaves a compound of alizarin and alumina, and dissolves the rest. This compound is boiled with HCl; a red crystalline powder remains which is Alizarin C14 H O4. It is purified by solution in alcohol and crystallization. It is obtained in reddish yellow prisms, resembling isatin: it sublimes at 420°; soluble in ether, slightly soluble in boiling water. · Alizaric acid C14 H5 O, colourless rhombs, obtained by the action of dilute NO, on alizarin or commercial garancin. - Rubiacin, C31 H9 O10 yellow plates and |