140 SOME POISONOUS PLANTS IN N.O. SOL AN ACE Jl, V., 



As far as can be ascertained, they are not found south of the 

 mountains which form the watershed of the Brisbane Valley. 



The trees were always observed in small clusters, growing on 

 red volcanic soil, and only on the edge of the thin scrubs in the 

 open brush forests. 



They were invariably associated with certain prominent iron- 

 bark and acacia trees, among which the following species were 

 noted : — Eucalyptus crehra (narrow-leaved ironbark), E. pa7iicu- 

 lata (white ironbark), E. melanophloia (silver-leaved ironbark), 

 E. tereticoryiis (red gum), E. hemiphloia (gum-top box); Amjo- 

 phora Imiceolata and A. suhvelutina. Among the acacias were 

 A. penniuervis, A. C unniiighainii, A. itnplexa^ a variety of A. 

 decurrens, and A. aulacocarpa. 



Experimental. 



(i.) Preliminary Examination for Alkaloids: — A small quan- 

 tity of the material was extracted in a Soxhlet extraction-appa- 

 ratus and treated by the Stas-Otto process for the separation of 

 active principles. A substance was obtained which gave positive 

 reactions with the following reagents: — Iodine in potassium 

 iodide, potassium mercuric iodide, phosphomolybdic, picric, 

 tannic, and phosphotungstic acids, platinic and auric chlorides. 



The solution possessed an intensely bitter taste and alkaline 

 reaction. 



When diluted to 1 in 1000 with normal saline and instilled 

 into the eye of a dog, wide dilatation was produced in about 30 

 minutes. 



It gave a strong positive reaction with A'itali's test. 



The substance is thus shown to be an alkaloid of the atropine 

 group; and since the aurichloride salts were observed under the 

 microscope to consist of several kinds of crystals, the probability 

 is that they contain a mixture of associated alkaloids of the 

 midriatic group. 



{2.) Distillation for Volatile Constituents: — About 100 gms. 

 of air-dried leaves were powdered and mixed with milk of lime 

 in a large Hask. The mass was distilled in a current of steam 



