158 APPEND:X. 
petroleum method gives very good results, about 0°19 per cent., and 
would probably be preferred on the score of expense. Comparative 
experiments made on the young and old leaves freed from the stalks 
show that the old leaves afford when dried 0-072 per cent. of the 
alkaloid, the young leaves 0-25 per cent., and that on an average a 
papaw plant can be calculated to afford 30 grams of the alkaloid per 
year from the leaves. The hydrochlorate of carpaine, which contains 
about 82 per cent, of the pure alkaloid, is freely soluble in water. As 
yet comparatively little is known of the physiologival action of the 
alkaloid, It appears, however, to act more especially upon the heart, 
Slowing its action, The lethal dose for a fowl of 500 grams weight 
was found to be about 200 milligrams. In a fowl of 350 grams 
weight no poisonous symptoms were produced with 50 milligrams of 
the alkaloid ; with 100 milligrams symptoms of poisoning occurred in 
ten minutes after injection into the breast muscles, but after twenty- 
five minutes the animal recovered its normal condition. The bird 
lay on its side and breathed deeply in a jerky manner, and showed 
slight convulsive movement of the whole body, but no irritability 
was noticed. Further observations are necessary to determine the 
usefulness or otherwise of the alkaloid in medicine; should it prove 
of utility, there can be no difficulty in obtaining it in almost 
unlimited quantity and in a definite crystalline condition, The 
alkaloid is easily precipitated from its solutions by the alkaloid 
reagents. The most delicate reaction is with Mayer’s reagent, 
iodoiodide of potassium, which in a solution of 1 in 300,000 gives 
a turbidity, and in 80,000 parts an evident precipitate ; phosphomolyb- 
date of ammonium has its limit of reaction at 1 in 75,000 parts, 
picric acid at 1 in 30,000, and chloride of gold at 1 in 25,000. 
The alkaloid has a bitter taste, which is perceptible even in a solu- 
tion of 1 part in 100,000. 
CUCURBITACE. 
Constituents of Melon Seeds. 
C. Forti (Chem. Centr., 1890, ii., 581) found these seeds to contain 
cholesterin and a dextro-rotatory carbo-hydrate apparently belong- 
ing to the galactan group. 
The oil yielded by the seeds to ether amounts to 49 per cent,, and is 
almost free from fatty acids, It contains lecithin. The phosphorus 
amounts to about 0°02 per cent. (Fear- Book of Pharm, 1891, p. 194.) 
