20 



SCIENCE., 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 601. 



conjunction with Dr. Weber, some work upon 

 the atomic weight of chlorine. 



Silver Platinum Alloys: J. F. Thompson and 



Edmund H. Miller. 



The authors have investigated the cooling 

 curves and micro structure and determined 

 the electrical conductivity and specific gravity 

 of alloys containing up to 57 per cent, of 

 platinum. 



Several series of experiments on the effect 

 of parting with nitric or sulphuric acid on 

 platinum silver alloys have been run, showing 

 (1) that the separation of platinum from 

 iridium, gold, etc., in one operation by means 

 of alloying with silver and parting in nitric 

 acid is impossible, and (2) that analytical 

 results on platinum silver alloys based on 

 parting with concentrated sulphuric acid are 

 incorrect on alloys containing 20 per cent, or 

 more of platinum, unless corrected for silver 

 retained by the platinum residue. 



Chemical and Physiological Examination of 



the Fruit of Chailletia Toxicaria: !F, B. 



Power and F. Tutin. 



The Chailletia Toxicaria grows abundantly 

 in West Africa and South America, and be- 

 longs to the natural order of Chailletiacese. 

 It is known in Sierra Leone as ratsbane. It 

 contains a poisonous substance which is fre- 

 quently used by the natives of the districts 

 where it grows for poisoning one another. 



Domestic animals poisoned by it become 

 paralyzed in the hind limbs; subsequently the 

 fore limbs and chest muscles are also par- 

 alyzed, and death results from paralysis of 

 the respiratory center. 



The results of the examination of well- 

 authenticated material were as follows: 



No alkaloid, cyano-genetic glucoside, or 

 soluble proteid, with poisonous properties, 

 could be isolated. 



About two per cent, of fat is present in the 

 fruit, in which were found (1) oleo-di-stearin, 

 of m.p. 43°; (2) phyto-sterol, C,,H,,0, m.p. 

 135°-148° (3) stearic and oleic acids; (4) 

 small amounts of formic and butyric acids. 



The alcoholic extract, free from fat, yielded 

 a resinous mixture (2.5 per cent, of fruit). 



from which nothing crystalline could be ob- 

 tained. 



By successive extraction with chloroform, 

 ethyl acetate and alcohol it was, however, re- 

 solved into products differing in their physi- 

 ological action. 



The chloroform extract had a narcotic or 

 paralytic effect: the ethyl acetate extract pro- 

 duced delirium and convulsions, the alcoholic 

 extract was not distinctly toxic. 



The aqueous extract, free from resin and 

 tannin, contained much glucose and was ex- 

 tremely poisonous. 



All attempts to separate the sugar from the 

 poison were without result. 



The physiological experiments led to the 

 following deductions: (1) The fruit contains 

 at least two active principles, one of which 

 causes cerebral narcosis, and the other cerebral 

 excitation, leading to epileptiform convulsions. 

 (2) The poison which causes convulsions is 

 very slowly excreted, so that a cumulative 

 effect is produced by the administration of a 

 series of individually innocuous doses. 



Quinazolines from J/.-Amino-l, S-Xylene: J. 



E. Sinclair and M. T. Bogert. 



The xylidine was converted into its acetyl 

 derivative, and this then oxidized to the acet- 

 amino isophthalic acid. The latter yielded an 

 anthranil when boiled with excess of acetic 

 anhydride, and by condensing this anthranil 

 with various primary amines, quinazolines 

 were obtained carrying a carboxyl group on 

 the benzene nucleus. The amines used were 

 ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine and ani- 

 line. 



Quinazolines from S-Amino-1, Jf.-Xylene: J. 



D. WiGGiN and M. T. Bogert. 



By a process similar to that outlined above, 

 this xylidine was oxidized to the acetamino 

 terephthalic acid, which was then changed to 

 the anthranil, and the latter condensed with 

 primary amines to quinazolines. The quin- 

 azolines thus produced differ from those men- 

 tioned above in the location of the carboxyl 

 group on the benzene nucleus. The amines 

 used were ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine 

 and aniline. Other quinazolines were ob- 



