in the Year 1835, in reference to the Physiology of Plants* 337 



discovered by Lebreton : its solution is said to act as an acid, 

 which we doubt. T. Martin* extracted cathartin, which was 

 discovered in the leaves of senna, also from the leaves of an 

 American Cassia maiylandica. Those cultivated in Europe 

 are said not to contain it. The santonin discovered by Kohler 

 in the calathia? of Artemisia glomerata was more carefully re- 

 examined by Trommsdorfff. It forms dazzling white com- 

 pressed six-sided columns, which become yellow in the light 

 even in confined air; they melt at 180° Reaumur, and are 

 sublimable in open vessels. It consists according to the ele- 

 mentary analysis of C 5 H 6 O, . 



Poggiale % has experimented on the salsaparilla root, and 

 recognised as identical the substances described under the 

 names of paryglin, and salsaparin and parillin acids, and he 

 has given a method of preparing salsaparin in a pure state. It 

 then appears as white small acicular crystals which are de- 

 composed by concentrated nitric acid and form oxalic acid, and 

 are coloured dark red, almost violet, by sulphuric acid. Pog- 

 giale found salsaparin to consist of C 8 H 15 3 . According to 

 Petersen § it contains one atom more carbon than Poggiale 

 has stated, has not a nauseous bitter taste, and does not possess 

 an acid reaction. 



This is so far of importance, that the chinova bitter disco- 

 vered by Winckler in China nova (Buena hexandra?) has, ac- 

 cording to the experiments of Buchner, jun., || the same com- 

 position and properties as Poggiale gives to his salsaparin, and 

 Buchner therefore considers them to be one principle, which 

 must appear rather strange of substances from plants so dif- 

 ferent as Smilax and Cinchona, This subject therefore requires 

 a close examination. 



A very interesting recent discovery is that of the phlorrizin % 

 of De Koninck, which may be obtained in a crystalline state 

 by boiling the bark of apple trees, and then evaporating. It 

 is often contained in the fresh bark up to 5 per cent., and ap- 

 pears to be diffused in the family of the Pomaceae, perhaps 

 characteristic of them all. It is obtained as whitish needles 

 with a silky lustre, which contain at the common temperature 

 7 per cent, of water of crystallization. It melts at 103°, and be- 

 gins to decompose of itself at 193° with formation of benzoic 

 acid. It dissolves easily in boiling water and alcohol, with dif- 

 ficulty in cold water, not at all in aether. Concentrated nitric 



* The American Journ. of Pharm., 1835, April, 

 f Annalen der Pharmacie, vol. xi. part 2. 

 J Journ. de Pharmacie, 1834, p. 553. 



iAnnal. der Pharm. ,vol. xv. part 1. || Buchn. Repert., vol. liii. p. 1. 

 f [See Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag., vol. viii. p. 444.— Edit.] 

 Third Series, Vol. 11. No. 68. Oct, 1837. 2 X 



