THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



233 



THE HOST RECENT WORK. 



The Alkaloids of Senecio Vulgaris. — An 

 exact study of the bases found in this plant has 

 recently been undertaken by MM. Grandval 

 Lajoux. A preliminary test upon a small quan- 

 tity of the powdered drug showed that a small 

 amount of alkaloidal substance was present. 

 They have ultimately succeeded in obtaining 

 two new bodies — senecionine and senecine. To 

 prepare the former, the plant is dried and pow- 

 dered in its entirety; the powder is well mixed 

 with its own weight of a 10 per cent, solution of 

 lead acetate. It is packed in a percolator and 

 and exhausted with water. The liquid is treated 

 with excess of H 2 SO 4 to remove most of the 

 lead. It is filtered, and excess of mercury- 

 potassium iodide is added. The complex pre- 

 cipitate contains the whole of the alkaloids. 

 These are liberated in a method very similar to 

 that adopted by the authors in previous work, 

 and the mixed alkaloids are separated by re- 

 crystallization from alcohol. The first alkaloid 

 to crystallize is senecionine, which forms very 

 voluminous crystals in rhomboidal tablets. The 

 crystals are anhydrous. They have a bitter 

 taste, and are lsevorotary (*)d=8o.5°. They 

 have a feebly alkaline reaction. The molecular 

 weight, as measured by its saturating power, is 

 351. Its formula is C lg H 25 NO , agreeing with 

 the results of the following analysis : 



C=6i.62 per cent. N= 3.86 

 H= 7.26 " O— 27.26 



The second base, senecine, has a far more 

 bitter taste than senecionine. It crystallizes 

 beautifully from ether. A crystalline tartrate 

 has been obtained. No formula has yet been 

 assigned to it. — Journal de Pharmacie. 



Citrophen, an Antipyretic and Antineuralgic . 

 — Dr. Benario {Deutsch med. Wochens XXI., p. 

 p. 423,) describes citrophen as a compound of 

 citric acid and para- phenetidine, first obtained 

 by Dr. I. Roos. Citric acid, being a tribasic 

 acid, three phenetidine groups are required to 

 saturate it ; two groups more than are contained 

 in phenacetin or lactophenin. If, as has been 

 stated, the antipyretic and analgesic power of 

 the phenetidine compounds depends on the 

 number of phenetidine groups they contain, it 

 would seem, theoretically at least, that citro- 

 phen should be much more active than its phe- 

 netidine predecessors. Its formula is C 3 H'OH. 

 CONH.OC 2 H 5 C°H 4 . It is a white powder (but 

 can also be obtained in crystalline form) having 

 a faint citric-acid taste, which persists in the 

 mouth for quite a while, imparting to it an 



agreeably refreshing taste. It melts at 181 de- 

 grees C (357.8 degrees F. ) and is soluble in 

 about 40 parts of cold, and 50 parts of boiling 

 water ; it is, therefore, well adapted to adminis- 

 tration in solution and subcutaneously. Acids 

 and alkalies decompose citrophen into its con- 

 stituents. The author has given citrophen in 

 doses of 0.5 to 1 Gm. (7^ to 15 Grn.) in seven 

 cases of typhoid fever, and has observed that in 

 the course of two hours the temperature falls 2 

 to 3 degrees C. (3.6 degrees to 5.4 degrees F. ) 

 at a period during the disease when the temper- 

 ature has a tendency to go up. Secondary ef- 

 fects, it is said, were never noticed. When the 

 drug was given in the evening, it exercised a 

 decided sedative action, allowing the patient to 

 sleep quietly. Good results were obtained from 

 this drug in the fever of consumptives ; in one 

 case the fever was entirely subdued after using 

 the drug but three days in 0.5 Gm. (yh Grn.) 

 doses, while at the same time an improvement 

 of the coexisting digestive disturbances was no- 

 ticed. Equally beneficial results are claimed in 

 other febrile affections. In migraine and neu- 

 ralgia doses of 0.5 Gm. (7 J Grn.) and even less, 

 rendered very good service. As much as 6 Gm. 

 (90 Grn.) have been given daily without sec- 

 ondary effects being observed, it is stated. — 

 Merck's Report. 



Chrysophanic Acid. — Dr. O. Hesse points out 

 that the chrysophanic acid of commerce does 

 not contain any of that acid — a fact which has 

 been known for a long time. He obtained the 

 acid from rhubarb by treating with ether, puri- 

 fying the residue by successive treatment with 

 alcohol, chloroform and potassium-carbonate 

 solution ; and crystallization of the acid from 

 hot alcohol. So obtained it melted at 178 C, 

 and its formula is C 15 H 10 4 . It dissolves its 

 concentrated sulphuric acid with a deep red 

 color. Boiled with hydriodic acid, it yields a 

 new body — chrysophanhydroanthene, C l5 H, 2 

 3 — which is a brilliant yellow-colored flaky 

 powder. 



A new test for Hydrogen Peroxide is given by 

 Bach (Pharm. Centralh., xxxvi, p. 342) as fol- 

 lows : First make a solution containing, per 

 liter, 0.3 Gm. of potassium bichromate and 0.25 

 Gr. of aniline ; then prepare a 5 per cent, solu- 

 tion of oxalic acid. To 10 C.c. of the liquid to 

 be tested, add 5 C.c. of the first solution and 

 one drop of the second. There is produced in 

 the presence of hydrogen peroxide a more or 

 less distinct, reddish-purple coloration, which 

 is still distinct in a 1 : 1,400,000 solution of the 

 peroxide. This reaction is not affected by any 



