102 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



kaloids take no active part in germination, but 

 are formed in the seedling by decomposition of 

 the albuminoids. In Papaver somniferwn the 

 amount of alkaloids decreases as the seeds 

 ripen, and this is accompanied by an elimina- 

 tion of nitrogen. Their chief function here ap- 

 pears to be to protect the plant from consump- 

 tion by animals. — Pharm. Jour. Trans., 1894, 

 355- 



Formation and Function of Tannins. — In a 

 paper in Programm der Pealschule vor 

 dem Holstenthore in Hamburg, G. Mielke 

 traces the formation of taunins in plants 

 through phenols, phenol -alcohols, and alde- 

 hydes ; they occur, in chemical combination 

 with sugar, as glucosides, and play an im- 

 portant part in vegetable economy, since they 

 are the indispensable materials for the produc- 

 tion of lignifying substances. They are never 

 formed out of albuminoids, and are not nutritive 

 substances ; they can take part in metabolism 

 only when they revert to their previous stages 

 by absorption of water. Resins and essential 

 oils are probably the final results of the meta- 

 morphosis of tannins. — Pharm. Jour. Trans., 



1894, 355- 



Action of Light on Diastase. — J. R. 

 Green states that the results of the experi- 

 ments that have so far been conducted show 

 that light, whether solar or electric, exercises a 

 destructive effect upon diastase, which con- 

 tinues after the exposure to light is discon- 

 tinued, the exposed solution gradually becom- 

 ing weaker until it possesses no diastasic power. 

 This deleterious influence is confined to the 

 rays of the violet end of the spectrum, the others 

 being slightly favorable rather than destructive. 

 Part of the solution so found to be affected by 

 light-rays was kept in darkness and maintained 

 its diastasic power unimpaired for more than a 

 month, by which time the exposed portion of 

 the solution, which had also been kept in dark- 

 ness after an exposure of from two to eleven 

 days, possessed no power to act upon starch. 

 The experiments were performed on an extract 

 of malt prepared by infusing ground malt 

 with water or salt solution, and the results 

 would seem to indicate the desirability of care- 

 fully protecting malt extracts from the action of 

 light. A comparison of the diastasic power of 

 fresh malt extract with that of similar material 

 exposed in the pharmacy for varying periods 

 suggests itself as an investigation of direct phar- 

 maceutical and medical interest. At the same 

 time it yet remains to be proved that the dias. 

 tase is the chief or only active agent in malt 



extract. The coloring matter of the barley -husk 

 has been proved to act as a screen which pre- 

 serves the diastase from the destructive effect 

 of light, whether it is dissolved in the extract 

 made from malted barley or used separately as 

 a screen placed before the cells in which ex- 

 posure is made. — Pharm. Jour. Trans., 1894, 

 355, from Annals of Botany. 



Wheat and Rye Starch. — E. Guenez points 

 out that these starches possess very similar 

 characters, and it is difficult at times to say de- 

 cidedly that a given sample consists of one 

 rather than the other. To distinguish the two 

 kinds he recommends that a little of the material 

 be mounted in water for examination with the 

 microscope. The wheat starch will then be 

 seen to contain comparatively few split grains, 

 which possess an isolated fracture situated near 

 the edge or proceeding from the centre to the 

 circumference. In the case of rye starch the 

 split grains are more numerous and possess a 

 star-shaped fracture with three or four branches, 

 apparently originating in the centre of the 

 grain and rarely reaching the grain. Some 

 grains may also be found which have only a 

 linear crack, but this will be larger in the centre 

 of the grain than towards the edges, just the 

 reverse . of what occurs in wheat. — Bull, de 

 pharm. de Bordeaux, xxxiv., 2S9. {P.J. Jr.) 



Tinctures and Tincture Making. — (H W. 

 Jones, )— The Pharmacopceial (B. P.) tinctures 

 are made by several methods, the bulk being 

 produced by a combination of maceration, per- 

 colation and pressure. By those means it was 

 intended to fully exhaust the drugs, and present 

 the soluble constituents in a definite volume of 

 liquid. The purpose was answered, but with 

 more complex working than necessary. In the 

 original edition of the 1885 Pharm., Tinct.Zingib. 

 fort, was directed to be prepared by percolation, 

 but in the "Additions," subsequently published, 

 three others were ordered to be so made. The 

 general instructions forTiuct. Hamamelidisand 

 Tinct. Hydrastis were perfect, and it was to be 

 taken as a sign of the times that the more 

 modern method was recognized. That the bulk 

 of the tinctures of the Pharmacopoeia could be 

 so prepared would not be controverted. The 

 three essential points to be attended to were : (1) 

 To damp as quickly as possible to avoid loss, 

 and to store in a closed vessel during macera- 

 tion ; (2) To properly pack the moistened in- 

 gredients so as to avoid air-spaces; and (3) To 

 keep the surface just covered with the mens- 

 truum during the entire process. Some opera- 

 tors packed straightway into the percolation 



