1027 
color to the acid; sulphuric acid in which has been dissolved a little selenious acid, 
reddish-brown; an alcoholic solution of sulphuric acid to which a drop of ferric 
chloride has been added, a deep wine-color; mereurie acetate containing a drop 
of potassium nitrite solution, a rather faint green. 
This saponin is readily split by boiling with dilute acids, the sugar 
being galactose as in the previous instance, for it gave galactosazone of a 
melting point of 180°. The sapogenin obtained from it, when it is at 
first precipitated in the presence of acids, is very red, but it turns to a 
blue-black when the supernatent liquid is made alkaline. However, this’ 
sapogenin is not a dye. 
The physiological behavior of saponin from Gonophyllum obliquum is 
very interesting, it being more irritating than the one from Entada 
scandens. 'The physiological experiments are as follows: 
Experiment A.—Guinea pig of 220 grams: 1 cubic centimeter of water con- 
taining 0.033 gram of gonophyllum saponin was injected intraperitoneally. The 
injection apparently acts immediately on the sensory nerve endings in the perito- 
neum, as is shown by the movements and general behavior of the animal. The 
guinea pig is very weak in three minutes and dead in about one hour. An 
autopsy shows the intestinal cavity to be fiery red, due to the intense irritation 
caused by this drug. Much bloody serum, the corpuscles of which showed marked 
lysis, is also found. The urine is not bloody; the lungs slightly congested; the 
heart moderately dilated. 
Experiment B.—Guinea pig of 210 grams: 0.5 cubie centimeter, containing 0.016 
gram of saponin, given intraperitoneally. The effects are exactly the same as in 
Experiment A. Dead in about one hour. An autopsy showed the same results 
as in Experiment A, with irritation even more marked. 
Experiment C.—Guinea pig of 205 grams: Injected intraperitoneally at noon 
with | cubic centimeter containing 0.008 gram of saponin. Apparently immediate, 
intense action on the sensory nerves of the peritoneum, as is shown by violent 
movements. The animal is very sick during the entire afternoon and dead on 
the next morning. Autopsy showed similar results to the ones in Experiments A 
and B. The irritation in the intestinal cavity is not so marked, but the lungs 
are congested and the heart dilated. The liver, kidneys and epithelial lining of 
the bladder are also congested and there is a large amount of bloody serum, con- 
taining hemolized red blood corpuscles in the intestinal cavity. 
Experiment D.—Guinea pig of 210 grams: 0.5 cubic centimeter, containing 
0.004 gram of saponin given intraperitoneally. Pronounced effect immediately 
observed as in the other cases. The same results throughout as in Experiment C 
are observed; the animal is dead on the next morning. 
Experiment H.—Guinea pig of 230 grams given 1 cubic centimeter, containing 
0.002 gram intraperitoneally. The animal was very sick for forty-eight hours, 
after which time there was complete recovery. 
Experiment F.—Guinea pig of 215 grams: 0.5 cubie centimeter, containing 
0.001 gram given intraperitoneally. Immediate effects were observed as in all 
other cases, The same results as in Experiment E, ending in complete recovery, 
are noted, 
These experiments demonstrate that the physiological action of Gano- 
phyllum saponin is chiefly characterized by intense, local irritation but 
lysis is also very pronounced, as in the case of all saponins. A very 
much smaller dose than the one in Experiment D, if given intravenously, 
