Pictet First Suggested That Alkaloids In Plants Are Analogous With The Waste
Products Of Animal Metabolism, And Result From The Combination Of The Breakdown
Products Of Protein With Other Compounds. These Primary Products Are Finally
Elaborated Into The Alkaloids As We Know Them By Other Secondary Reactions, Such
As Methylation Of Hydroxyl, And Amino-Groups By The Agency Of Formaldehyde.In
Certain Respects The Plant Alkaloids Rank Among The Most Interesting Of
Naturally Occurring Substances. For The Most Part They Are Of Complex Structure,
So That The Determination Of Their Constitution And Discovery Of Methods Of
Producing Them Synthetically Offer Attractive Problems To The Chemist; And
Though A Great Deal