Echitamine is obtained from the liquor from which the ditamine has been extracted. On neutralizing this liquor, concentrating it by evaporation, and then adding hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride, impure echitamine hydrochloride is precipitated. The base isolated from this precipitate, and then purified, crystallizes iu thick vitreous prisms, answering to the formula
C22H28N3O4 +4H20. When dried in vacuo these part with three molecules of water, leaving a strong base of the formula C32H28N4O2 +H2O, or C22H30
N2O5, which the author calls echitamine hydrate, or echit-ammonium hydroxide. If in drying the heat be raised to and maintained at 150° C, another molecule of water is given off ; but the anhydrous echitamine thus left is a much weaker base, and is reconverted into the original alkaloid by dissolving
it in hydrochloric acid, and decomposing the hydrochloride. In consequence of the decided loss of basic properties accompanying the elimination of the last molecule of water, the author prefers to regard the monohydrated base as the normal form. The latter is a powerful alkaloid ; it neutralizes acids perfectly, and yields well defined crystallizable salts.
Echitenine. — This base is prepared from the mother liquors of echitamine hydrochloride, by precipitating with mercuric chloride, decomposing the precipitate with sulphuretted hydrogen, and then shaking with chloroform. It exists in the bark to the extent of only 001 per cent. Its composition corresponds to the formula C 20 H* 7 NO 1 . It is markedly bitter, of a brownish colour, and fuses above 120° C. With strong sulphuric acid it forms a reddish- violet, and with nitric acid a purple solution, the latter of which changes to green and ultimateley to yellow. Its salts are amorphous. Tn the author's opinion all these alkaloids belong to one series :
Ditamine C 16 H 19 NO 2
? C' 9 H J3 N0 3
Echitanine C 30 H 2 ' NO 4
Echitamine Hydrate (Echit-ammonium Hydroxide)... C ,? H S0 N 2 O 5
(Liebig's Annalen, cciii., 144) in Year-Book of Pharmacy for 1881.)
(Pharmacographia Indica, Vol. II, pp. 389—391).
755. Holarrhena antidysenterica, Wall., h.f.b.i., in. 644.
Syn. : — Echites antidysenterica, Roxb. 245 ; Wrightia antidy- senterica, Graham.
Sansh : — Kutaja (the bark) and Kalinga (the seeds). Giri- malli ka, Vatsaka (cow tree), Sakra Sakhin (Indra's tree), Sakra- Sana (Indra's food). The tree is fabled to have sprung from the drops of amrita which fell on the ground from the bodies of Rama's monkeys which were restored to life by Indra. (Phar- macographia Indica II, p. 392).
Vern : — Kureya, kaureya, karra, kaura, kora, karchi, dud hi (Hind.) ; Kurchi (Beng.) ; Pandhra kuda, dowla kiida (Bom.);
