APOCYNACEZ. 397 
pertaining to the alkaloid obtained by him from Wrightia 
antilysenterica seeds. Like that alkaloid also, though crystal- 
lizable, it contains no oxygen, the formula by which it is 
represented being C'?H*°N or differing by CH? from the 
formula given by Herr Warnecke for his alkaloid; but Messrs. 
Polstorff and Schirmer think their formula C'®H®°N is fairly 
comparable with that of Professor Haines for conessine from 
Hast India Conessi bark, C25H?2NO (old notation), since the 
free base has the peculiarity (also shared by Aribine) of crys= 
tallizing with a molecule of water; and they think that his 
combustion was probably made with imperfectly dried alkaloid. 
a It will be observed that Professor Haines and Messrs. 
_ Polstorff and Schirmer operated upon the bark of the respec- . 
tive plants, whilst Herr Warnecke used the seeds. So that 
at present there is some doubt whether both barks yield an 
identical alkaloid, differing in composition from that from 
conessi seeds by CH®, or whether it is the alkaloid from 
the East Indian and African plants that differ, but are 
homologous. Messrs. Polstorff and Schirmer have prepared 
and described several salts of their alkaloid. It may be 
added that there is a remark in the Appendix to the Indian . 
“Pharmacopeia to the effect that probably Holarrhena 
oe) antidysenterica, H. Codaga, H. pubescens and 
H. malaccensis, are only varieties of one species, and are 
endowed with similar, if not identical, medicinal properties, 
It appears desirable, therefore, that the investigation should 
be extended to the bark and seeds of those plants. (Pharm, 
Journ., Feb. 27, 1886.) 
Commerce.—The bark and seeds are both articles of local 
on lerce. Value, bark, Rs. 14 per maund of 373 lbs. ; seeds, 
