^Appendix. 61 



with hydrocyanic acid and sugar, in the natural fermentation of 

 amygdalin which is found in many plants of the almond family. 



Salicylic acid does not exist uncombined in plants, that the 

 writer is aware, but as methyl salicylate it makes the principal por- 

 tion of " wintergreen oil," from Gaultheria Procumbens and 

 Betula Lenta (sweet birch) and occurs in great purity and abund- 

 ance in Andromeda Leschenaultii( 14 ). This acid, the new anti- 

 septic, is now being manufactured on the large scale from 

 carbolic acid, as presently to be described. It is not poisonous ; 

 i% gramme doses being taken without apparent ill effect. It 

 prevents most fermentive and putrefactive changes ; including 

 those, like the sinapous and amygdalous, which are not depend- 

 ent upon an organized ferment, as well as the alcoholic and lactic. 

 One-tenth per cent, prevents grape juice from fermenting, and 

 0.04 per cent, delays the souring of milk 36 hours later than 

 when the milk is not so treated( 15 ). It arrests putrefactive 

 changes, as well as fermentive. Unlike carbolic acid, its anti- 

 septic power is destroyed by alkalies. The methyl salicyate has 

 been has been to some extent manufactured for use instead of 

 natural wintergreen oil. Salicylic aldehyde is known as the oil of 

 spircea, found in "meadow sweet" and "hardback." It is 

 readily obtained by fermentation of the glucoside salicin, the 

 bitter substance of the willow and poplar and found with its 

 product in meadow sweet. Populin and Helicin both readily 

 yield salicin. 



Cinnamic acid phenyl-acrylic is found in the balsams; 

 and appears when its aldehyde cinnamon oil is exposed to the air. 

 The balsams also contain, in styrax, cinnamic alcohol, cynnyl 

 cinnamate (C 9 H 9 C 9 H 7 O 2 ), and cinnamene, C 8 H 8 . Cinnamate 

 of benzyl (C 7 H 7 C 9 H 7 O 2 ) forms a large part of Peru balsam 

 and a small part of Tolu balsam. 



Cuminic aldehyde is found, with cymene, in cummin oil 

 (from C. Cyminium). 



(14) BKOUGHTON: Phar.Jour., Oct. 7, 1871. 



(15) NEUBAUB: KOLBE: MULLEK: Jour. Ghent. Soc., 1875, 459, 460. 



