280 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD, 



of tlie heavy metals do not act less powerfully ou tlie coli-typhoid group than 

 on S. aureus and B. antliracis, e. g., mercury perchlorid, silver nitrate, gold 

 chlorid." 



Elirlich and Becbho'.d have previously pointed out that the action of i»awerful 

 antiseptics such as mercuric chlorid and tetrachlor-ortho-biphenol was greatly 

 diminished by the presence of serum. In these tests it is shown that sheep's 

 serum heated at 57° C. and unheated serum diminished the antiseptic action 

 for the (S. aureus only slightly in the case of hexa methyl violet and to a 

 greater degree with brilliant green, while the depression was very marked with 

 ietr.'iehlor-ortho-biphenol. The antiseptic action of diaminoacridin increased 

 for the 8. aureus, B. anthracis, B. coli, and B. typhosus when serum was 

 present. 



The volatile nature of the toxic constituent of poison ivy, C. E. Bessey 

 (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 86 (1914), ^o. S, pp. 112-llJf). — An account of the per- 

 sonal experiences of the author, who became poisoned by simply looking at the 

 flowers and foliage of poison Ivy contained in a box some distance away. 



While the author does not deny PfafE's statement that ivy contains a flxed 

 poison, he emphasizes the fact that a volatile poison mu.st be pi'esent also. 



Some observations on the pollen of poison sumac, L. E. Warren (Amer. 

 Jour. Pharm., 85 (1913), No. 12, pp. 545-549). — The alcoholic extract made from 

 from the pollen of sumac (Riuis remix) when tested physiologically upon 4 

 human subjects according to Tschirch and Stevens's method showed no toxic 

 properties. " The evidence that Rhus poisoning may be wind-borne is mate- 

 rially weakened by the results, and the theory that poisoning can take place 

 only by contact with the plant receives additional support." 



The cause of fag-opyrism and some notes on the fluorescent coloring mat- 

 ters in the hulls of buckwheat seeds, K. Fessler (Hoppe-Seyler's Ztschr. 

 Physiol. Chem., 85 {1913), Ko. 1-2. pp. 148-155; Berlin. Tierarztl. Wchnschr.. 

 29 {1913), No. 28, pp. 497-499).— Buckwheat, when fed to animals, especially 

 those with unpigmented skins, is often toxic when the animals are exposed to 

 sunlight. Researches by Fischer and others led to the detection of a fluorescent 

 substance which was noted to a large extent in the hulls of buckwheat. 



In this investigation the solvents used were alcohol (95 per cent), acetone, 

 ether, chloroform, benzin, and carbon disulphid. The color of the solution 

 obtained varied from a light to a dark green and from a brown red to a red 

 fluorescence. Benzin was colored only slightly and the color of the carbon 

 disulphid solution was olive to light brown and showed no fluorescence. Ou 

 long standing the color of the solution was changed and the fluorescence lost. 

 Alcoholic solutions became brownish gi'een and ethereal solutions yellow green. 

 Drying .also destroys the fluorescence. The green coloring matter was identified 

 ;is crude chlorophyll ; the yellow coloring matter was considered a xanthophyll. 



The crude chlorophyll extract contained a brown coloring matter to which 

 the seeds owe their yellow color and which probably belongs to the i)hloba- 

 phenes of the pyrocatecliin group. It is without pathological significance. 



Other substances noted were pentoses, mucin, and pliytosterol. 



As the green coloring matter is strongly photodynamic and as Hausmann has 

 ascribed to it toxic properties, it might be of interest to study the pharma- 

 cological action of the various components of the crude chlorophyll extract. 



The pathology of growth: Tumors, C. P. White {London, 1913, pp. XI I -{-235, 

 figs. 89). — This book deals with the subject under the following headings: 

 Variations in development, growth, and functional activity ; regeneration, 

 transplantation, etc.; tumors— introduction ; organomata ; histioniata ; cyto- 

 mata ; the general morphology and relationships of tumors: the origin of 



