May, 1920] PHYSIOLOGY 249 



for total alkaloid content of U. S. Pharmacopoeia I X l>ui which fail to meel the ether-soluble 

 requirement of U. S. 1'. VIII, thereby showing a deficiency in quinine content. Author voi< 

 the opium ii thai it would be much better to have requirements for both total and ether-soluble 

 alkaloids for cinchona and its preparations. Anton Hogatad, Jr. 



1733. W \kim vn, Nellie. Teaching plant chemistry. Jour. Amer. Pharm. Assoc. 8: 

 105-10S. 1919— See Bot. Absts. 3, Entry 922. 



1734. Wunschendorff, H. E. L'huile de fenugrec. [Oil of fenugreek.] Jour. Pharm. 

 et de Chim. 19: 397. 1919. — In addition to a volatile oil, fenugreek contains 7 per cent of a 

 golden-yellow, drying, fatty oil which is soluble in all proportions in ether, petroleum ether 

 and carbon disulphidc but incompletely soluble in absolute alcohol and acetone. Chem: 

 and physical constants are given. — H. Eng< Inn-ill. 



POISONOUS PLANTS AND INSECTICIDES 



1735. Hoffman, J. A. Mercurialis poisoning in horses. Berliner Tierarzt. Wochenschr. 

 [through Pharm. Jour. 102 : 426. 1919]. — The question of Mercurialis poisoning was discussed 

 by the author in 1918, when he described 8 cases of horses which had eaten hay containing 

 great quantities o Mercurialis annua. The animals were affected in varying degrees; two 

 recovered in three days; two others after 2 and 3 weeks, respectively. One of the eight died 

 in 24 hours with symptoms of acute colic. Mere urialis preserves its toxicity even when dried. 

 Some animals show a strange predisposition to the toxic action of the plant; others are much 

 more resistant. According to Schulz, the toxic principle is mercurialin, which acts upon the 

 muscles and the nerves of the intestine and the bladder, and also upon the heart. The red 

 tint of the urine is attributed to an indigo-red pigment contained in the plant. — E. N. Gather- 

 coal. 



1736. Lewin, Lotjis. Pfeilgifte und Pfeilgiftwirkungen. [Arrow poisons and their ef- 

 fects.] Naturwiss. 7: 181-186. 1919.— A condensed account is given of over 40 years' study 

 of this group of poisons, mostly of plant origin. The poisons are considered as they affect 

 the animal system; first, local inflammatory poisons, then those that cause general symptoms 

 of poisoning, these last being divided into (a) respiratory poisons, (b) heart poisons, (c) those 

 producing cramps, and (d) those producing paralysis. — Orion L. Clark. 



1737. Roark, R. C. Plants used as insecticides. Amer. Jour. Pharm. 91: 25-37, 91-107. 

 1919. — A contribution from the Insecticide and Fungicide Laboratory. Miscellaneous Divi- 

 sion, Bureau of Chemistry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, calling the 

 attention of entomologists, pharmacists and others to seme 175 plants that might be utilized 

 as insecticides to replace the arsenicals, pyrethrum (insect powder) and others. The author 

 also states some possible uses of these, assuming no responsibility for the statements but merely 

 quoting from various authors, with the hope that some of the plants listed may be found to 

 be of commercial value as insecticides. — Ayiton Hogstad, Jr. 



PHYSIOLOGY 



B. M. Dtjggar, Editor 



PROTOPLASM, MOTILITY 



1738. Harper, R. A. The structure of protoplasm. Amer. Jour. Bot. 6:273-300. 1919. — 

 See Bot. Absts. 3, Entries 1934, 2133. 



1739. Kxudsen, L. Viability of detached root-cap cells. Amer. Jour. Bot. 6: 309-310. 

 1919.— Contrary to the prevailing belief that root-cap cells die as they are sloughed off, the 

 author finds that in corn and Canada field peas grown in water cultures these cells, dropping 

 off and collecting on the bottom of the culture vessels, remain alive for a long period (45 to 

 50 days or more). — E. W. Sinnolt. 



