712 EXPEIUMKXT ftTATIOX K?:CORD. 



the absence of any alkaloid and that only a trace uf volatile material was 

 Itresent. An alcoholic extract of the dried and ground material yielded, in addi- 

 tion to mnch clilon>]ihyil and resin, the following definite compounds: (1) 3:4 

 dihydroxycinnamic acid; (2) caulosapoKonin. C^HocOr,. identical with the sub- 

 stance recently Isolated by Power and Salway from C'<tuloph]/llum tliaUctroidrs 

 (some of the derivatives of caulosapojjenin yielded on analysis apparently 

 anomalous results, which can not at present be explained) ; (3) a saponin, 

 CwIIsoOio, which proved to be a glncosid of caulosapogenin ; (4) dextrose; (5) 

 myricyl and ceryl alcohols; (G) hentriacontane, C3in84. ; (7) a phytosterol. 

 which appeared to consist of a mixture of sitosterol, CirH^eO, and stigmasterol, 

 CaoHcoO; (S) a phytosterolin. which apparently consisted essentially of stig- 

 masterol glncosid; (9) nielissic, cerotic, and palmitic acids, together with a 

 mixture of unsaturated acids C(msisting largely of linoleic acid and an acid, 

 CssHwO- (melting point, 00.5°), apparently isomeric witli behenic acid. 



"The statements regarding the irritant properties of C. ritalha can not be 

 confirmed." 



Organic phosphoric acid of rice, Alick R. Thompson (U. S. Dept. Agr.. Jour. 

 \f/r. Rcscarcli. .? {191')), Ao. 5. pp. Ji2o-430). — In s<ime previous worlc on the 

 determination of ])hosplioric acid in the grain of rice (E. S. R., 29. p. 231). it 

 was found that when oxidizing with a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid 

 a colorless solution was soon obtained, but when the solution was evaporate<l 

 to dryness a charred mass remained behind. Determination of phosjihoric 

 acid In the gi-ain (not boiled to dryness) showed only one-third of the total 

 phosphoric acid found by the Neumann method. The foliage of the rice plant, 

 on the other hand, showed no such differences with the two methods. " It was 

 thought that the reason for this resistance to the action of aqua regia is proba- 

 l>ly the fact that phosphoric acid occurs in the rice gi-ain as phytin and is 

 therefore not comi)letely hydrolyzed. It was decided, therefore, to give some 

 study to the organic phosphoric acid of rice." 



In attempting to obtain the pure tribarium salt of phytic acid from rice by 

 the methods of Anderson (E. S. R., 27, p. 712 ; 28, p. 17 ; 31, p. 707), it was found 

 that the substance was partially hydrolyzed very easily and difficulty was expe- 

 rienced in eliminating impurities such as other phosphoric acid esters of inosit. 

 In the work special attention was paid to the methods for the determination 

 of the barium and phosphoric acid in the salt. "The total phosphorus was 

 determined in samples of rice bran and impolished and polished rice. The 

 following determinations were duplicated to within 0.02 per cent: Phosiihorus 

 in rice bran, 2.291 per cent; in unpolished rice. 0.321 per cent; in polished 

 rice, 0.14 per cent." 



Phytin was determined in rice bran by extraction with a 0.02 per cent hydro- 

 chloric acid solution and precipitating with alcohol. The amount found was 

 8.22 per cent. Attempts to obtain it in polished rice were unsuccessful. 



Two preparations of barium phytate, one from rice bran and the other from 

 unpolished rice, were made by Anderson's i)rocedure. " The salts thus obtained 

 were practically free from chlorids and inorganic phosphates. Nitrogen was 

 :ilso absent. All the material of the first preparation was used in making 

 repeated determinations of barium, phosphorus, carbon, and hydrogen, but the 

 phytin obtained from the bran was analyzed also for ash constituents other 

 than barinm. In 0.6 gm. of this material an unweighable trace of calcium was 

 found, but no iron, manganese, magnesium, or potash. The residue on pre- 

 cipitating out the barium and igniting the phytic acid thus left amounted to a 

 few milligrams and was composed mostly of unvolatilized phosphoric acid. 

 Xo nitrogen was found in the salt." The salts contained less phosphoric acid 

 and barium than found by Anderson for tribarium-inosit-hexaphosphorlc-acid. 



