62 Pharmaceutisches und Chemisches. 



The catechins existing in Gambier and Acacia catechu are 

 shovvn to be distinct though closely related substances. 



E. Drabble (Liverpool). 



Power, F. B. and M. Barrowcliff, The Constituents of Seeds 

 o f Hydtiocarpns Wightictna and o f Hydnocarpus anthelminüca. 

 Isolation of a Homologue of Chaulmoogric acid. 

 (Journ. Chein. Soc. London. Vol. LXXXVII. 1905. p. 884 



—896.) 



The fatty oil is used in western India and in China for the 

 same purposes as the oil of Chaulmoogra seed (Taraktogenos 

 Kurzii King). Hydnocarpus Wightiana Blume is indigenous to the 

 Western Peninsula of India while H. anthelminüca Pierre is 

 found in Siam whence the seeds known as Lukrabo are exported 

 to China and then to Ta-fung-Fsze. The fatty oils from 

 the two species closely resemble those of Chaulmoogra seeds. The 

 acid obtained consist principally of Chaulmoogric acid and a lower 

 homologue of the same series to which the name hydrocarpic 

 acid is given. A hydrolytic enzyme, capable of hydrolyzing amyg- 

 dalin and potassium myronate was isolated. 



Hydrocarpic acid has also been found in Chaulmoogra oil. 



E. Drabble (Liverpool). 



Power, F. ß. and M. Barrowcliff, The Constituents of the 

 Seeds of Gynocardia odorata. (Journ. Chem. Soc. London. 

 Vol. LXXXVII. 1905. p. 896—900.) 



Gynocardia odorata R. Br. long supposed to be the source of 

 Chaulmoogra oil, really yields an oil of very different properties. It 

 is a liquid at ordinary temperatures and is optically inactive. It 

 contains neither chaulmoogric acid nor its homologues. 



Gymnocardia oil contains the glyceryl esters of linolic acid or 

 isomerides of the same series; of palmitic acid; of linolenic and iso- 

 linolenic acids; and of oleic acid. The seeds also contain a 

 crystalline glucoside gynocardin and a hydrolytic enzyme, gyno- 

 cardose. E. Drabble (Liverpool). 



Power, F. B. and F. H. Lees, Gynocardia, a new Cyanogenetic 

 Glucoside. (Journ. Chem. Soc. London. Vol. LXXXVII. 1905. 

 p. 349—357.) 



The authors have found a cyanogenetic glucoside, gynocardin, 

 in the seeds of Gynocardia odorata R. Br. Unlike other members 

 of its class gymnocardin is very stable towards the usual acid hydro- 

 lysing agents. It has the formula CisHio O9 N. A hydrolytic enzyme, 

 gynocardase has been isolated from the seeds; it readily hydro- 

 lyses gynocardin and also amygdalin, but appears to have no action 

 on potassium myronate. E. Drabble (Liverpool). 



Semmler, f. W., Die ätherischen öle. Nach ihren che- 

 mischen Bestandteilen unter Berücksichtigung der 

 geschichtlichen Entwicklung. (Leipzig, Veit & Comp., 

 1905. Gross Oktav.) 



In dem Werke, für das 4 Bände vorgesehen sind, soll alles zu- 

 sammengestellt werden, was sich in der umfangreichen chemischen 

 Literatur über den genannten Gegenstand zerstreut vorfindet. Be- 



