XI, A, 2 Brill: Hydno carpus venenata Gaertner 7.7 



EXAMINATION OF THE SEEDS 



Approximately 4 kilograms of the kernels, which had been 

 heated at 100°C. for some time in order to destroy the activity 

 of any enzymes present and afterward dried at a temperature 

 between 80° and 90° C, were ground, and the oil was expressed. 

 This oil is greenish yellow, possesses an odor resembling that 

 of crude chaulmoogra oil, and is mobile at room temperature 

 (30°C.). 



The nuts yielded 45.57 per cent of dry kernels, which gave 

 by expression a yield of 51.18 per cent of oil with the following 

 properties : 



The oil is optically active, being dextrorotatory. 



Average rotation 30°/D for a 5-centimeter tube is +24.65°, making 



the specific rotation +52.03°. 

 Melting point, 19° to 20° C. 

 Specific gravity at 30°, 0.9475. 

 Index of refraction at 30° C, 1.4770. 

 Saponification value, 200.3. 

 Iodine value, 99.1. 

 Acid value cc. N/10 NaOH, 4.4. 



EXAMINATION OF THE PRESS CAKE 



The ground nuts and the press cake gave qualitative tests for 

 hydrocyanic acid when crushed, suspended, and incubated at 

 38° C. for forty-eight hours in a solution of emulsin, indicating 

 the presence of a cyanogenetic glucoside. Attempts were made 

 to isolate this glucoside in the following manner : The press cake 

 was extracted with strong alcohol, a large amount of glucose 

 was removed from the alcoholic solution, the alcohol was re- 

 covered by distillation under a partial vacuum, and the resulting 

 black, gummy residue was washed with ether to remove the 

 fatty oil. The remainder was dissolved in water and extracted 

 with chloroform. This resulted in a separation into two nearly 

 equal portions. Both were concentrated to dryness, the chloro- 

 form portion in the air and the aqueous fraction in a vacuum 

 dessicator over sulphuric acid. The dessicated aqueous extract 

 was then extracted with hot absolute alcohol. This alcoholic 

 solution was allowed to evaporate slowly in the hope that the 

 glucoside would crystallize out, but without any success. In 

 every trial, even after treatment with animal charcoal, infusorial 

 earth, gypsum, etc., the resulting mass came out with a gummy 

 consistency. This gum had the bitter taste of a cyanogenetic 

 glucoside and gave qualitative tests for hydrocyanic acid and 

 glucose. The product ot>tained by the treatment with alcohol 

 was very small — about 1 gram from 4 kilograms of dry 

 shelled nuts. On account of the small quantity of the material 



