8Q The Philippine Journal of Science laie 



The oil from Gynocardia odorata can very easily be distin- 

 guished from the others because of its optical inactivity and 

 the absence of chaulmoogric and hydnocarpic acids. A study of 

 Table I will convince one that chemical tests will not give con- 

 clusive evidence in a differentiation of the other oils, since their 

 constants are so similar. Reasoning from these properties one 

 would expect the physiological action of the oils from the seeds 

 of Taraktogenos kurzii, Hydnocarpus wightiana, Hydnocarpus 

 anthelminticus, and Hydnocarpus venenata to be analogous, 

 although perhaps varying in degree. If the physiological effects 

 of these oils depend on the distinctive unsaturated acids present, 

 the oil from Gynocardia odorata should act differently from the 

 other four; on the other hand, if the activity is dependent on 

 the presence of a cyanogenetic glucoside, the gynocardia oil 

 should be as physiologically active as the others. 



In a later paper I expect to be able to present some infor- 

 mation as to the physiologically active portion of several of 

 these oils. 



SUMMARY 



The results of an investigation of the chemical properties and 

 constitution of the oil from the seeds of Hydnocarpus venenata 

 are given. 



These results would indicate that the physiological properties 

 of the chaulmoogra and hydnocarpus oils should be identical, 

 since the chemical constituents are identical, and that the prop- 

 erties of the gynocardia oil may be differentj depending on 

 whether the physiological activity is caused by the unsaturated 

 acids present in the chaulmoogra and hydnocarpus oils or by 

 the glucoside present in all the seeds. 



