38 PHARMACOGNOSY [Bot. Absts., Vol. IV, 



PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY 



Heber W. Youngken, Editor 

 E. N. Gathercoal, Assistant Editor 



264. Bardie, A. Quelques notes sur la Physalis Alkekengi dans la Gironde. [Notes 

 concerning Physalis Alkekengi L.] Actes Soc. Linn. Bordeaux (Proces-verbaux) 69: 39-47. 

 1915-16. (Received May, 1920.) 



265. Cauda, A. L'essenza di senape nei vegetali. [The mustard-oil content of plants.] 

 Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital. 52 : 544-548. 1919. — The physiological function of allylisothiocyanate 

 is not as yet known, but indications are that the content of a plant in this compound is not 

 only characteristic of the species but much dependent on the environment. The close relation 

 of the mustard oil and the cyanic acid group is indicative of the great importance these com- 

 pounds play in the physiology of plants. According to Gola the more sterile the environment, 

 the greater the content of cyanic acid, and to this may be added that the more sterile the envir- 

 onment the greater the content of mustard oil. If to all the plants known to contain cyanic 

 acid were to be added all those known to contain mustard oil, the following list would be 

 compiled: the Si?iapis, Cheiranthus Cheirei L., Lepidium Draba L., Brassica napus L., Rapha- 

 nus sativus L., Raphanus raphanistrum L., Sisymbrium alliaria, Nasturtium officinale L,, 

 Lepidium sativum, Cochlearia armoracia, Reseda lutea L., Reseda luteola L., Capparis spinosa, 

 various species of Acacia, Thlaspi arvense, Asparagus officinale and various species of Ery- 

 simum. Analysis of seeds of several among these genera led the author to conclude that the 

 plants grown in southern climates gave seeds having a smaller percentage of oil than seeds 

 from plants grown in more northern localities. This, he assumes, indicates incomplete trans- 

 formation of albuminoids which are then not assimilated completely in those places where 

 the vegetation of the plant is not fully accomplished. Seeds from plants growing wild in the 

 north of Italy had a higher mustard-oil content than seeds from plants cultivated in Sicily; 

 cultivation seems therefore to diminish the mustard-oil content of the plants, although the 

 seeds from these same southern plants under cultivation have a greater fat content. In seeds 

 and sections of plants the author could find specialized cells (such as were pointed out by 

 Guignard) within which there was a localization of myrosin which acts on potassium myro- 

 sinate with the formation of the isothiocyanate of allyl according to the following equation: 

 Cu&eNKSjO.+ HsO-CeHiiOB + CsHsNCS + HKSO*. The number and size of these cells 

 tends to diminish in etiolated leaves. Seeds of Sinapis nigra contained 0.294 per cent of 

 mustard oil, while green seedlings (air dry) contained 0.280 per cent, and air dry etiolated 

 seedlings contained 0.170 per cent. A method is described for the determination of the 

 mustard-oil content by oxydation with bromine water and the weighing of the sulphate 

 radical as barium sulphate. The apparatus used is also described. — A. Bonazzi. 



266. Chodat, R. Etudes faites au jardin alpin de la "Linnaea." I. Sur quelques faits 

 de botanique et de geographie economique a Bourg-Saint Pierre. [Observations made at the 

 alpine garden of Linnaeus. I. Concerning certain things of economic value related to botany 

 and geography at Bourg-Saint Pierre.] Bull. Soc. Bot. Geneve 11 : 30-11. 1919.— See Bot. Absts. 

 6, Entry 9. 



267. Fuller, H. C. Report on alkaloids. Jour. Assoc. Official Agric. Chem. 3: 379. 

 1920. — Report of progress on atropin and strychnin determination. — F. M. Schertz. 



268. Haslett, J. P. Plants used as ingredients in the manufacture of country spirits in 

 Southal Pargavas. Indian Forester 45: 530-531. 1919. — Twenty-five species of native Indian 

 plants are given from which spirits are made from the roots and two in which the bark is used. 

 — E. N. Munns. 



269. Jamieson, George S., and Walter F. Baughman. The chemical composition of 

 cottonseed oil. Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc. 42: 1197-1204. 1920. 



