to J 



BY JAMES II. PETKIE. 441 



The t'ollowing constituents were identified : — 



Formic, acetic, valerianic and laurie acids. 



Oleic, stearic, and higher fatty acids. 



A very volatile essential oil. 



A phytosterol with m.p. 132°, opt rot. — 34.5, and in.p. of acetate 120° C 



A jiaraffln, with the properties of triaeontane C30H62, and an oleflne having 

 the properties of uctodecylene. 



The nuts contained 39 % of starch, and much mucilage. 



In the feeding experiments, white rats were given, with their ordinary food, 

 (1) the crushed fresh leaves, (2) the grated seeds, (3) the rich, fatty, and resinous 

 components extracted from the leaves by ether, and which Dr. Lauterer stated 

 contained the poisonous principle, (4) the aqueous extracts of the leaves, and the 

 seeds, by which the aborigines believed the poison was removed. 



The animals showed no signs of being affected after three weeks' feeding 

 the material was apparently not poisonous to white rats. With careless feed- 

 ing the animals are easily killed by impaction, which is due to the fibrous nature 

 of the material . 



References to the Poisonous Properties or Australian Cycads 

 (Arranged in chronological order of publication.) 



1. Banks. — Jouru. of Sir J. Banks on Cook's First Voyage, 1770, pp. 299, 



313, E. coast of Aust. ; p. 421, Prince's Is. 



2. Grey, G. — Yo'-.. of Dialects of S.W. Aust., Notes on Food of Aborigines, 



1840, p. 22. 



3. Journ. of 2 Expeds. of Discovery in N.W. Aust., 1841, vol. ii., 



p. 61, 295. 



4. Bennett.— N.S.W. Med. Gaz., ii., 1871, 1. 



5. Mii.FORD.— Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W., x., 1876, 295. 



6. Mueller.— Chem. and Drug., Melb., 1883. 



7. Palmer.— Journ. Boy. Soc. N.S.W., xvii., 1883, 97. 



8. Moore.— Journ. Roy." Soc. N.S.W., xvii., 1883, 115. 



9. Bancroft.— The Queenslander, 1890 (thro. Turner (11).) 



10. Brisbane Courier, Oct. 29, 1892. 



11. Turner.— Agric. Gaz. N.S.W., iv., 1893, 158. 



12. Edwards.— Journ. Bur. Agric. W.A., i., 1894, 225. 



13. Producers' Gaz. and Settlers' Record, W.A., v., 1898, 399. 



14. Maiden.— Agric. Gaz. N.S.W., iv., 1893. 



15. „ viii., 1897, 20. 



16. „ X., 1899, 738, 1259. 



17. Lamb.— Agric. Gaz. N.S.W., vi., 1895, 505. 



18. Lauterer.— Proc. Roy. Soc. Q., xiv., 1898. 



19. Cra wlet.— Producers' Gaz. and Settlers' Record, W.A., v., 1898, 399. 



20. Hunt.— Ann. Rep. Dept. of Agric, Q., 1899, 71. 



21. Stewart.— Dept. of Agi-ic. N.S.W., Misc. Pub. No. 344, 1899. 



22. „ „ ,, Ann. Rept. Stock Branch, 1900, p. 20. 



23. Van Don gen. — 1903, thro. Wehmer's Die Pflanzenstoffen. 



24. Mann and Wallas.— Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W., xl., 1906, xxi. 



25. Marks— Agric. Gaz. N.S.W., xsdii., 1912, 1056. 



