The so-called Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde (6) is an indoline derived by chemical degradation from strychnine. This compound is of some commercial interest as a chemical intermediate. It was first synthesized in 4 steps from strychnine (1)[2][3][4] by Walter Gumlich and Koozoo Kaziro working in the laboratory of Heinrich Wieland. This degradation study was part of an attempt to elucidate the chemical structure of strychnine.
^Wieland, H.; Gumlich, W. (1932) Über einige neue Reaktionen der Strychnos - Alkaloide. XI Justus Liebigs Annalen der Chemie494(1):191-200. (original report of fragmentation of the strychnine lactam ring)
^Wieland H.; Kaziro, K. (1933) Abbauversuche vom Isonitroso-strychnin aus. Über Strychnos-Alkaloide. XIII Justus Liebigs Annalen der Chemie506(1):60–76. (definitive characterization of the Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde)
^Witkop B. (1992) Remembering Heinrich Wieland (1877-1957) Portrait of an Organic Chemist and Founder of Modern Biochemistry Med. Res. Rev.12(3):195-274. (Witkop notes [p. 220] that "Wieland and Kaziro studied the Beckmann rearrangement of this oxime and the loss of hydrogen cyanide to yield an aldehyde, that should correctly be called Wieland-Kaziro aldehyde, but became
known and accepted as Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde...")
^F. A. L. Anet, R. Robinson, Chem. Ind. (London) 1953, 245.
^Alkaloids: Nature's Curse or Blessing? Manfred Hesse. Wiley, 2002. See pp. 230-232. ISBN978-3-90639-024-6