152 THE CHEMISTRY OF DORYPHORA SASSAFRAS, 



Zeyer gave his alkaloid the formula C30H40N2O5 (old German 

 CaoHooNOs), though he regarded it as doubtful at the time. 



The provisional formula arrived at for the Doryphora alkaloid 

 is C.aH^iNO,. 



In New Zealand there occurs another genus of the Moni- 

 miaceae, Laurelia Xovce-ZeaIande<f, whose bark and leaves 

 were found by Bancroft(8) to possess "an agreeable aromatic 

 bitter taste." From this bark, Aston(9) isolated three alka- 

 loids, one (laureline) having the formula CoHoiNO.-,, and 

 m.p. 116°, was amorphous, but formed crystallised salts; an- 

 other, was also an amorphous powder, from which no crystal- 

 lised salts could be obtained. The physiological action of the 

 chief alkaloid, as described by Professor Malcolm(lO), shows 

 first, a stage of increased excitability, quickly followed by 

 complete loss of power and death. The second stage closely 

 resembles that produced by the alkaloid of JJorj/p/i o/a 



Piptocah/x Mnorei{ll), the 'Bitter Vine" of New South 

 Wales, owes its intensely bitter taste to a giucoside, which 

 was examined by Umney(12) in London, and no alkaloids were 



detected. 



The only other members of this Order, native to Australia, 

 and whose constituents have been examined, are the three 

 species of Baphnandra, — repandula, micrantha, and aromatlca. 

 Bancroft(13) has recorded the presence of bitter alkaloids in 

 all parts of these plants, and found them to be powerful 

 poisons. The physiological action on frogs resembled that of 

 the Laurelia, producing convulsive movements, followed by 



paralysis. 



Of the extra-Australian genera, Monimia rofundifolia was 

 examined by Rochebrune(14) in 1897. He found in it a 

 elucoside, a volatile oil and an alkaloid having properties 

 almost identical with those of the constituents of the Chilian 

 genus, Peumus boldus(15). The alkaloid of Feu m us resembles 

 that of Doryphora in many of its properties, both chemical 

 and physiological, and it, too, could not be obtained in a 

 crystallised form. 



