4015. Guanine

4015.    Guanine. A base obtained from guano. It is a colorless, crystalline powder, insoluble in water, alcohol, ether or ammonia. By treating guanine with muriatic acid and chlorate of potassium, guanidine is obtained in colorless crystals, readily soluble in water and alcohol.

Guanine, Sarcine, and Xanthine greatly resemble one another.

4016. Berberine

4016.    Berberine. An alkaloid crystallizing in fine yellow needles slightly soluble in water, extracted from Barberry root.

4017. Pipeline

4017.    Pipeline. An alcoholic extract of pepper forming colorless or yellowish crystals. Insoluble in water.

4018. Conine, or Conia

4018.   Conine, or Conia. An alkaloid extract of hemlock, in the form of a volatile, oily liquid. It evolves an odor of hemlock on being moistened with a solution of po-tassa.

4019. Nicotine, or Nicotia

4019.     Nicotine, or Nicotia. This is also a volatile, oily, acrid liquid, soluble in water, ether, alcohol, and oils. Nicotine, moistened with a solution of potassa, evolves a strong odor of tobacco.

4020. Sparteine

4020.    Sparteine. An alkaloid obtained from broom, also a volatile, oily liquid. Conine, nicotine, and sparteine are similar in character, being very poisonous, possessing strong alkaline reaction, and forming crystal-lizable salts with the acids.

4021. Salicine

4021.      Salicine. A white, crystalline substance, found in the bark and leaves of several kinds of poplar and willow; but most abundantly in the white willow and the aspen. It is obtained by the careful evaporation of an infusion in cold water.

4022. To Obtain Alkaloids

4022.    To Obtain Alkaloids. Some of these substances require special processes for extracting them from the substances in which they are found, but the following methods will apply for general purposes:

When the base is insoluble in water, nonvolatile, and existing in tho plant in an insoluble form. Boil or macerate tho bruised plant in water acidulated with muriatic acid, filter, neutralize tho acid with an alkali, (ammonia, lime, or magnesia), and collect the precipitate, which must be purified by reso-lution in dilute acid, digestion with animal charcoal, and subsequent crystallization or precipitation by an alkali; or the first precipitate may bo purified by dissolving it repeatedly in alcohol.

When tho base is insoluble in water, and non-volatile, but existing in the plant in a soluble state. Boil or macerate in hot water as before; filter and precipitate by adding an alkali; purify as last.

When the base is soluble in water, and non-volatile. Make an infusion with a dilute acid (muriatic); concentrate by a gentle heat; treat tho liquor with potassa and ether (conjointly); decant and evaporate.

When the base is both soluble in water and volatile. Tho vegetable or its extract may bo mixed with potassa and distilled; the product, neutralized with oxalic or sulphuric acid, carefully evaporated to dryness, and digested in alcohol, and this solution agitated with potassa and ether; the ethereal solution thus formed, if carefully evaporated, leaves tho base nearly pure. It may be further purified by cautious distillation.