the journal of Pharmacology. 



A Monthly Journal Devoted to the Advances Made in the Various Departments of 

 Materia Medica, Pharmacy and Chemistry. 



Voi,. V. OCTOBER, 1898. No. 10. 



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 Address SMITH ELY JELLIFFE. M.D., 231 West 71st Street, New York City. 



Edited by SMITH ELY JELLIFFE, A.B., M.D. 



WITH THE COLLABORATION OF 



Chas Rice, Ph.D. H. H. Rusby, M D. V. Coblentz, Ph.D Geo A. Ferguson, Ph. B. 

 Geo. C Diekman, M D. H. B. Ferguson. Phar. D- 



abstracts. 



Strophanthin. — The lack of positive information as well as the contra- 

 dictions regarding this substance have likewise induced Kohn and Kulisch 

 (comp. Thorns, pp. 144-193) to examine this new drug. After extraction 

 of the seeds with petroleum ether they were dried and then exhausted 

 with 70 p. c. alcohol. The filtered alcoholic extracts were precipitated 

 with basic lead acetate and lead oxide, the filtrate deprived of its excess 

 of lead with sulphuretted hydrogen and evaporated in vacuo. After 

 standing several days comparatively pure crystals of strophanthin sepa- 

 rated. The yield from Kombe and hispidus seeds was 0.3 to 0.5 p. c. 

 Hardy had obtained 0.7 p. c. After recrystallization from water, the prod- 

 uct was perfectly free from nitrogen. Basing their conclusions on the 

 ultimate analysis of this compound as well as that of a commercial speci- 

 men of Merck, also on a methoxy determination (found 5 p.c. OCH 3 

 = iOCH 3 pro C 31 H 48 12 ), they accept Amand's formula, C 31 H 48 12 

 and reject that of Frazer. They also question the glucosidal nature of 

 strophanthin, because after hydrolysis they could obtain no characteristic 

 reaction for sugar. The water soluble compounds after hydrolysis re- 

 duced Fehling's solution but yielded no osazone, nor did it ferment. They 

 expect to make a more detailed report with regard to the decomposition 

 products of a strophanthin, also as to the composition of strophanthidin 

 in the near future. [Berichte, 31, p. 514-] Phar. Rev. 



