Dictionary of the Active Principles of Plants : Alkaloids, Bitter
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PPP" DICTIONARY OF THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLES OF PLANTS SOHN i. [ir n ii>h^ -*' r < i^' : DIGTIOJSTAEY OF THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLES OF PLANTS: ALKALOIDS; BITTER PRINCIPLES; GLUCOSIDES: THEIR SOURCES, NATURE, AND CHE.UICAL CHARACTERISTICS, WITH TABULAR SUMMARY, CLASSIFICATION OF REACTIOSS, AND FULL BOTANICAL AND GENERAL INDEXES. CHARLES E. SOHN, F.LC, F.C.S. Member of the Society of Public Ana/y.tfs. LONDON BAILLIERE, TINDALL AND COX, 20 & 21, KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND. 1894. PREFACE. bodies, has been The ceaseless flow of new facts into every branch of science is well The present work, which treats of nearly GOU of these illustrated in the particular section of organic chemistry embraced prepared with the hope that it may contribute to the attainment of the under the heading Alkaloids, Bitter Principles and (rlucosides. The above objects, and be found of service to those who have occasion to deal streamlet that started at the commencement of this century, when with these compounds or study them—particularly the analyst, professor, Derosne and Serti'irner made the discovery of Morphine, has swollen with research chemist, student, and manufacturer. ever-increasing rapidity, until at the present time the Hood of matter No efforts have been spared to render as full as possible the information reactions) wherever accumulated almost defies management. supplied (particularly as regards tests and chemical ; It becomes every day more desirable that something be done towards practicable, it has been drawn from the original sources, and embodies the classifying the substances so constantly being augmented in number, and results of the latest researches. that the details bearing upon them, now more or less scattered throughout Easy access to any fact contained in the book has been aimed at, intro- chemical literature, should be tabulated in a convenient form—one that and it is earnestly requested that the reader will peruse the will permit not only that a i/iven attribute of any substance shall be readily ductory and explanatory part, that he may the better acquire this found, but also will indicate wherein such substance differs from, or resembles, facility. another of its class. London, Uctobei; 18'J3. : ' : INTRODUCTORY AND EXPLANATORY. In addition to the Active Principles that are members of one or other of or chemically allied plants, whilst retaining as far as practicable an alpha- the three classes specially dealt with, I have included some substances betical order. Supplementary indexes being provided, that are liable to be met with in connection with the manifest these, or have bearino- on inconveniences which a purely the subjects under treatment. ° alphabetical method would occasion are by these means The term Alkaloid avoided. (or the letter A used for that word) has been employed ^- In order that no time may be lost in finding any statement con- to denote any naturally occurring vegetable base ; this covers a cerning wider a given substance, the following rotation has been adhered to in area than would the most modern application of the word which the enumeration of the properties restricts it to Pyridine and and tests : Quinoline derivatives, to the exclusion of such a body as Caffeine. Of course, Salts of Ammonia and albuminoid decom- Botanical Z»ctot7s.— position Plants furnishing the compound or compounds, with products cannot be comprised in this class (one or two of the technical as well as popular names and botanical order. latter receive notice, however). Parts of plant in which found. The Glucoshlet! embrace those substances Bibliographical (other than tannins) that reference (names of investigators and details of published yield sugar (with some other compound) when decomposed by the action researches). ot dilute acids or natural Each substance ferments. They are generally free from (when more than one) is then treated individually thus Nitrogen, exceptions being General, Physical Amygdalin, Solaniue, Indican, Linamarin, and Chemical Details.—^ame and synonyms, class (A = Myronic Acid, and Sinalbni, Alkaloid, B = Bitter Principle, = the last two of which contain Sulphur also G Glucoside). hemtter Pnndples Chemical formula. 1 are a very diverse group, as various in composition as in their chemical reactions. Crystalline form, etc. They contain no Nitrogen, and yield no Melting point and effects of heat sugar on treatment with dilute acids or otherwise. The generally. name Awaroid Rotatory power (action on IS suggested for such bodies polarized light). as these, in order to avoid confusion with Reaction glucosides and (alkaline, neutral, or acid). alkaloids, so many of which are also bitter. Being numerous verv Taste and odour (if any). and frequently of considerable importance, whilst Various generally : Character of salts, products of hydrolysis (action neglected in works upon organic of boiling dilute chemistry, it has been thought desirable acids), physiological effect. to describe them fully. Solubility in water, alcohol, ether, chloroform, benzene, petroleum ether, amyl In conformity with the system alcohol, carbon _ adopted by the Chemical Society in their bisulphide, and sundry other solvents. journal, all alkaloids are spelt Behaviour towards with the termination ine, whUst glucosides immiscible solvents. and Reactions amaroids end in in, without the final e. with precipitants, etc. (in this order) The book consists of three parts (besides two indexes and sub- 1. Alkaline indexes). hydrates and carbo- 4. Tannic acid. nates. '" Dictionary form, 5. Picric acid, * arranged upon a system which groups C,;Ho(NOo)3'OH together^'^'^'^xJ' 2. Ammonia. the constituents either of one plant or of a (Hager's reagent). number of botanically 3. Lead acetate, neutral and basic. 6. Ferric chloride. IN'TUODl'CTORY AND EXPLANATORY. 7. Platinum chloride, Phoapho-componiuh : GENERAL INDEX.—Special endeavours have been made to render 8. Palladious chloride. 22. Phosphomolybdio acid (.Sonnen- this comprehensive. 9. Gold chloride. schein's reagent). In the Tabular Sum.mary the order of insertion in Part I. has been 10. Silver nitrate. 23. Phospho-tungstio acid (Schei- preserved, because it permits a survey of all the active ])rinciples of a 11. Copper sulphate. bler's reagent). given plant at a glance —a manifest advantage over a purely alphabetical Fehling's solution (alkaline 12. 24. Phospho-antimonic acid. arrangement (which might upon a preliminary inspection have appeareil copper tartrate). Iodides, etc. : desirable), for in that case the reader, dealing, for instance, with Opium, 25. lodo-potassic iodide (Wagner's would have had nearly forty different positions to find, whilst here be has Cyanides, etc. : reagent). but one. 13. Potassium ferrocyanide. 26. Bismuth-potassic iodide ( Dragen- Synonyms and questions of identity cannot, for want of space, be 14. ferricyanide. dorff's reagent). ,, discussed in Part II. (the Tabular Summary), but receive full attention - potassic iodide Ih. ,, sulphocyanide. 27. Cadmium in Part I. ; for the same reason, many columns of precipitants have had 16. ,, cyanide. (Marme's reagent). is iodide. to be removed from Part II. ; but this curtailment amply compensated 17. ,, nitro-prusside. 28. Zinc-potassio 18. Silver potassium cyanide. 29. Mercuric-potassic iodide ( M ayer's for by the classified lists of reactions in Part IIL and the numerous solution). reference notes. Chromales, etc. : 30. Mercuric chloride. In the last section—Part III. —are classed, in a series of alphabetical 19. Potassium chromate. 31. Chlorine water. lists, sub.-itances having a common propertj-, or giving a similar reaction. 20. ,, bichromate. 32. Bromine water. 21. Chromic acid. 33. Iodine tincture. GENERAL RULES. Colour tests (in this order), time taken for development of colours and their 1^ 1. To facilitate reference, it is important to remember that the is invariably given durability ; series of details upon any substance in a particular Concentrated sulphuric acid alone and with various substances (sugar, potassioni rotation (see above). bichromate, manganese dio.\ide, nitric acid, etc.), Erdmann's reagent, sulphuric 2. Colour — Since the great majority of substances here dealt with are acid with a trace of nitric acid. colourless, colour is only mentioned when coloured compounds are spoken Concentrated nitric acid alone. of ; all others are to be understood to be white or colourlest. Acids in general. 3. Odour.—For analogous reasons, all bodies not described as h'triny Perchlorate of potash or perchloric acid. odour are odourless. Per-iodic acid. 4. Alkalinity.—When not otherwise stated, the reaction (alkaline, Frohde's solution (molybdic and sulphuric acids). neutral, or acid) has reference to litmus as indicator. PART II. A Tabular Su.m.mary designed for ready reference and — 5. Temper.\ture is always indicated in degrees Centigrade. as a means of contrasting one compound with another for analytical and G. Solubility'.—Figures in the solubility columns denote number of other purposes it gives the chief properties and tests of the substances ; parts of solvent required to dissolve one jjart of substance. that are more fully described in Part I. 7. Delicacy of Test. —Numbers in the columns of precipitants (or PART III. —A Cl.\ssification of Reactions for the special use of colour tests) signify degree of dilution at which the reaction is analysts, showing what compounds are known to respond to a given test. observable. BOTANICAL INDEX. —Each plant here appears in its alphabetical 8. Use of Re.a.gents. —Except where other indications are given, positions by popular and scientific names. Sub-lists of plants are also precipitants are to be applied to the substiitice dissolved in water, and in the inserted for those botanical orders which iuclude members containing alka- case of alkaloids to the salt, and not to the free base. loidal, bitter, or glucosidal principles. This facilitates comparison of the 9. Colour Tests. —The dry substance is to be employed when testing constituents of allied plants. with concentrated acids and colour tests generally. = INTRODUCTORY AND EXPLANATORY. AnnREvrATioNS have as far as possible been avoided, but in the (after = Tabular G name of [ substance) phos.-molyb.