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The Alkaloids, Felix F. Barre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis, presented for the degree of Bachelor of Science, provides a systematic chemical study of the alkaloids, a class of complex nitrogenous plant substances possessing basic properties. Barre opens by defining the alkaloids and surveying the various systems used to classify them, whether by natural versus artificial origin, chemical nucleus (pyridine, quinoline, or isoquinoline), volatility, or botanical family of origin, and outlines their general physical and chemical properties, including solubility, optical activity, and characteristic reactions with precipitating and color-test reagents.

The thesis details standard laboratory methods for the extraction and separation of alkaloids from plant material, including a step-by-step …