THE) JOURNAL, OF PHARMACOLOGY. 221 



The Agricultural Ledger, No. 6, 1898, is devoted to an account of the 

 use of the seeds of Oroxylum Indicum Vent. , family Bignoniaceae, called 

 "Damree Seeds," in the treatment of Tinea tonsurans in cattle. The 

 seeds are given internally, apparently with excellent results. They con- 

 tain 20 per cent, of an oil and a small amount of yellowish, crystalline, 

 bitter principle. 



In No. 7 an account is given of the cultivation of black pepper in As- 

 sam. The relative quality of black pepper is regarded as being indicated 

 by the weight of the fruits, "corns," as they are technically called. 

 The best Penang and Malabar weigh upward of 6 grams to the hundred. 

 A poor quality weighs about 4^ grams, while Assam pepper weighs but 

 about 3 grams and is exceptionally poor. It is consumed at home and 

 rarely gets to market. It is inferior if collected too young, or left too long 

 upon the vine. It should be gathered just as it begins to ripen. The 

 ripe fruit is sought and eaten by birds. After being gathered it is boiled 

 for a few minutes. If for home consumption the pulp is rubbed off before 

 drying, thus converting it into white pepper. Plants begin to bear 

 at about 3 years, and continue to bear for 20 years. It is possible to grow 

 500 plants upon an acre and it is possible for each plant to yield three 

 seers of commercial pepper, though one seer is the average yield. 



H. H. R. 



Strophanthin and Strophanthidin — Feist calls attention to the differ- 

 ent drugs sold under the name of strophanthus and to the different stro- 

 phanthins. He is also of the opinion that the strophanthin of Arnaud is 

 different from that used by Fraser and by himself. 



It was heretofore supposed that strophanthin upon hydrolysis yielded a 

 sugar besides strophanthidin (comp. contradiction on part of Kohn & 

 Kulish, p. — ). Feist has examined the water soluble compound more 

 carefully than it has been examined before and comes to the conclusion 

 that it may be a methyl derivative of a sugar containing less oxygen than 

 saccharose. Strophanthidin upon oxydation yields benzoic acid and is, 

 therefore, pronounced a benzene derivative. It is possibly an anhydride 

 of the compound C 13 H 20 O 4 . Inasmuch as the author expects to be able 

 to produce more satisfactory results in a not distant future, it seems use- 

 less to discuss the details of this preliminary report. 



[Berichte, 31, p. 534-] Phar. Rev. 



Book Reviews. 



The Pests and Blights of the Tea- Plant, being a Report of Investigations conducted 

 [ in Assam and to some extent also in Kangea. By GEORGE Watt, M.B., CM., F.Z.S. K 

 etc., Reporter on Economic Products to the Government of India. Calcutta, Offiec 

 of the Superintendent of Government Printing. Roy. 8vo., pp. 467, with Index. 

 Illustrated. 



