BY THOS. L. BANCROFT. 1063 



Papaver horridum, DC, N.O. Papaveraceae. 



I have for some years past been anxious to ascertain whether 

 the native poppy contained morphine, but it was not until last 

 August that I was enabled, through the kindness of Mr. J. H. 

 Simmonds, to obtain a supply of the plant. 



All parts of the plant have a slightly bitter acrid taste. An 

 extract is very poisonous to frogs, Hyla ccerulea, Cliiroleptes australisy 

 and Lii)i7iodynastes salminii, but in none of these frogs are there 

 any tetanic spasms developed. Hylas develop tetanus after poison- 

 ing with morphine. I endeavoured to prepare morphine from an 

 extract of this plant according to the method prescribed by the 

 British Pharmacopoeia, but failed to get even a trace of that sub- 

 stance, or indeed of any other substance. Judging from this and 

 from the physiological effect on frogs it would appear that the 

 active principle is not morphine. It is, however, quite as poisonous 

 as morphine. 



I have to thank Mr. Chas. De Yis, M.A., for the scientific names 

 of the frogs. 



SoLANUM VERBASCiFOLiUM, Ait., N.O. Solanacese. 



A large shrub, often twenty feet high, with a bitter bark. An 

 extract of the bark is only slightly poisonous to frogs. 



An alkaloid can be prepared in a pure state from this plant in 

 the following manner. Pulverise the bark, exhaust by boiling 

 aqueous alcohol, distil off the alcohol, dissolve the extract in water, 

 filter, precipitate with carbonate of soda. It seems to be insoluble 

 in ether and chloroform, but very soluble in alcohol. It is not 

 mydriatic. In these particulars it agrees with Solanine."^ 



Stephania hernandi^folia, Walp., N.O. Menispermacese. 



The root of this plant is bitter. An extract of it is extremely 

 poisonous to frogs. These animals are aflfected by it in a most 

 remarkable manner. After they have had the poison injected 

 into a lymph-sac, they remain perfectly quiet until suddenly they 

 are attacked with violent convulsions, which last one or two 



* Since the above was written I have discovered that Solanine has been 

 found in the fruit of this plant. ( Wittstein's Organic Constituents of Plants, 

 translated by Baron von Mueller, pp. 201 and 257.) 

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