IDIOSYNCRASY TO QUININE, CINCHONIDINE AND ETHYLHYDROCUPREINE

Abstract

One of us (F. A. G.) has an idiosyncrasy, demonstrable by Boerner's test,¹ to quinine, and also to a number of other alkaloids of the cinchona group; namely, cinchonidine, hydroquinine, hydrocinchonidine, cupreine, hydrocupreine, ethylquitenine and ethylhydrocupreine (optochin). All of these compounds are levoratatory; their solutions cause rotation to the left of a beam of polarized light. Idiosyncrasy is not present to the dextrorotatory isomers of these substances obtainable, which are listed in the accompanying table. It has not so far been possible to obtain cupreidine, the dextro-isomer of cupreine (R is HO, R' is CH:CH₂). Idiosyncrasy is not present to eucupine (iso-amylhydrocupreine) or to vuzine (iso-octylhydrocupreine), which are levorotatory but have long and branched side-chains. The chemical relationships of these compounds are explained in various pharmacology texts and by Henry² in more detail. Idiosyncrasy is not present to the levorotatory alkaloids nitrohydroquinine, nitro-ethylhydrocupreine or amino-ethylhydrocupreine, in which