2 Transactions. 



evaporation. It did not seem to form a jelly at any stage in the evapora- 

 tion, and merely thickened to a stiff syrup. In this state it did not 

 grow moulds, although weaker concentrations readily did so and also 

 readily underwent fermentation with brewers' yeast. 



After standing some weeks the syrup became crystalline, but the 

 crystals were mingled with so much precipitated material and pigment, 

 and recrystallization was so slow, that it was difficult to obtain a quantity 

 of the purified crystalline substance. The small quantity that was 

 obtained evidently consisted of glucose, as shown by its physical appear- 

 ance and its osazone crystals. That laevulose was also present in the 

 crude syrup was, however, clearly shown by the following observation : 

 The syrup was extracted with hot alcohol, clarified with charcoal, and 

 examined in the polarimeter in watery solution ; the result was laevo- 

 rotation ; and the solution gave very distinctly Seliwanoff's test for 

 laevulose. That this solution contained a mixture of dextro- and laevo- 

 rotatory sugars was proved by the fact that in a clear solution contain- 

 ing 15-5 per cent, reducing-sugar as estmiated by Allihn's method the 

 rotation corresponded to only 2-3 per cent, laevulose. 



The syrup was also tested for galactose by the mucic-acid test, but 

 with negative results, so that no evidence was found of the presence of 

 raftinose. 



The ash of the juice was found to contain a considerable amount of 

 iron salts. 



Two experiments were made in order to test whether the concentrated 

 juice contained any of the poisonous properties of the other parts of the 

 plant. In one a known amount of the crude syrup was diluted and 

 administered by stomach-tube to a rabbit. No symptoms followed. The 

 dose corresponded to about 54 grammes of the juice as expressed from 

 the ripe fruit. It would correspond to about 2 lb. to a human adult. 



In the other an attempt was made to extract any tutin that might 

 be present. The quantity used would correspond to about 1 kilogram 

 (2-2 lb.) of the original juice. It was covered with acetone in a stoppered 

 bottle, and left for three weeks, with frequent stirring and shaking. The 

 extract so obtained was heated to drive off the acetone, dissolved in 

 water, and administered to a rabbit. No symptoms resulted which could 

 be ascribed to tutin. The animal became practically anaesthetized and 

 unconscious, but recovered fully in a few hours. The symptoms were 

 probably due to some acetone or acetone compounds which had not been 

 completely removed by the heating. 



From these experiments it seems extremely unlikely that the juice 

 contains any tutin. 



Toxicity of the Seed. 



After trying the hypodermic injection of solutions obtained by various 

 methods of extracting the tutin, the conclusion was arrived at that oral 

 administration of the seed would be the best in this case, as it resembled 

 more closely the natural way in which poisoning might occur. Accord- 

 ingly, since rabbits could not be induced to swallow the amount of seed 

 required, a watery extract containing suspended matter was made by 

 grinding the dose of seed in a coffee-mill, adding successive small quan- 

 tities of water, and straining the extracts through cheesecloth. In this 

 way the pulverizable part of the seed was separated from the husk, and 

 a muddy-looking suspension was obtained which could be administered 

 to the rabbit by stomach-tube. The residue left on the straining-cloth 

 was considerable ; in several cases where it was collected and dried it 



