THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



know, divided into three distinct layers, 

 the epiblast or outside membrane, the 

 meso-blast which is again subdivided 

 into the epiblastri-meso-blast because it 

 adjoins the epiblast and the hypoblastic, 

 meso-blast because it adjoins the hypo- 

 blast, which is the most internal of the 

 three layers of cells. 



If we now begin the description of the 

 foetal membranes with this division in 

 mind we see that first of all there, is a 

 thickening of the three membranes at a 

 certain point within the vitelline mem- 

 brane. 



From this thickened portion and from 

 the epiblast and its adjoining layer of 

 meso-blast, a double fold appears and 

 surrounds the foetus until it unites be- 

 hind and there joins together. The ex- 

 ternal layer encroaches on the vitelline 

 membrane, and the latter now disappears. 

 This double membrane is called the 

 annion. This annion is non-vascular 

 (has no blood-vessels). Soon after the 

 development of the annion the allantois 

 is formed. This membrane is vascular. 

 It encroaches upon the annion and takes 

 the place of its external layer. This I 

 illustrate to you in the drawing. 



The structure of the ovum is now as 

 follows: 



The chorim which is the name given 

 the altantois, as it is the external mem- 

 brane and formed from the hypo- blast 

 and the hypo-blastic meso-blast. The 

 annion which is the internal layer oi the 

 aniniotis fold that remains during fcetal 

 life and the embryon itself. 



Now, there are two membranes that 

 are furnished from the mother. 



When the ovum drops into the uterus, 

 it is received between two little double 

 folds of the mucous membrane. 



As development goes on, these folds 

 increase in size and completely surround 

 the embryon. They are called respect- 

 ively the decidua vera and decidua re- 



flexa. At the front where the blood- 

 vessels enter is the decidua serotina. 

 During the life of the new being in the 

 mother elements for its nutriton are de- 

 rived from the mother and find their way 

 into the body of the foetus through its 

 membranous attachments. 



The Localization of Alkaloids .—Souvan has 

 published a preliminary account of some work 

 on the localization of the alkaloids strychnine 

 and brucine in the seeds of various species of 

 strychnos. The reactions for both alkaloids 

 were obtained in the cells of the endosperm 

 and embryo, but not at all in the membranes. 

 With nitro-sulphuric acid, red-orange and vio- 

 let colors are obtained in diflferent portions of 

 the tissue. It appears, therefore, that the alka- 

 loids occur closely associated in these tissues. 

 Further results may be ex-pected.— Journal de 

 Pharmacie. 



Formyl Piperidine. — It is well known that 

 chloral, under the influence of alkalies, decom- 

 poses into chloroform and formic acid. A sim- 

 ilar reaction takes place, according to Loth, 

 when piperidine is used in the place of the al- 

 kali. When equimolecular quantities of the 

 two bodies are allowed to react at the tem- 

 perature of the water bath, formyl-piperidine 

 and chloroform are obtained. The alkaline 

 character of the pepper alkaloid is here shown 

 in a very marked way : 

 CCl3COH+C5HioNH=C5HioN.COH-fCHCl3. 



Formyl-piperidine is an oily liquid of agree- 

 able odor, boiling at 220° C, soluble in water and 

 alcohol. A solution of ether, when treated with 

 dry hydrochloric acid gas, gives crystalline 

 needles of the composition CjHmN.COH HCl, 

 whose plantinum salt melts at 171°. The thera- 

 peutic action of this interesting alkaloid derivat- 

 ive is now being studied, — Fharm. Zeit. 



Saccharin Controversies.— h. bitter quarrel is 

 going on between the firms of Fahlberg, List & 

 Co. and Dr. F. von Heyden Nachfolger, and 

 literature of a very polemical character is being 

 freely circulated. Fahlberg, List & Co. deny 

 that the saccharin sold under the registered 

 name of " Crystallose " by the rival firm is 

 100 per cent, saccharin, melting at 224°. The 

 best they send out, say Fahlberg & Co., is not 

 over 94.5 per cent., meting at 2io°-2i7°, and is 

 merely crystalline soda saccharin, which was 

 long ago introduced by themselves. Whereas 

 their own pure saccharin, they urge, contains 

 over 97 per cent, of the pure sweetening body. 

 There appears to be little hesitation in giving 

 the lie direct, and such a quarrel is much to be 

 regretted between rival manufacturers. — The 

 British and Colonial Druggist. 



