xii. a, -i Brill and Wells: Medicinal Plants, II 187 



weakness was noticeable up to the sixth day. During the fol- 

 lowing thirty-six hours the dog lost control of voluntary move- 

 ment, and the activity of the salivary glands seemed greatly 

 increased, a large volume of clear liquid passing from the mouth. 

 The pupils were dilated, but vision seemed good. There were 

 no convulsions before death. The dried fruit gave similar results 

 when administered in much smaller dosage. Five grams of dry, 

 worm-eaten seeds were finely ground and given to a healthy dog 

 of full growth. Death followed after a period of thirty-eight 

 hours. An examination showed no abnormal conditions. There 

 was no congestion, the bladder was empty, and the liver, spleen, 

 kidneys, and lungs were normal. The heart was full. Renson 35 

 states that carnivorous animals are affected by eating the berries, 

 while birds and fowls consume it with impunity. 



The dried seeds, finely ground and extracted with petroleum 

 ether, gave a white crystalline mass containing a small amount 

 of ether-soluble resin of a yellow color. Attempts were made 

 to oxidize this white product from the berries (melting point 

 64° C.) by heating with potassium permanganate in sodium car- 

 bonate solution for two hours on a steam bath; the manganese 

 oxides decomposed by sulphurous acid, and the resulting product 

 recovered. The compound had the melting point of the original 

 body (64° C). No oxidation took place under these conditions. 



The compound was treated with ammonium hydroxide in 50 

 per cent alcohol solution and sodium carbonate in excess on the 

 water bath for two hours ; hydrochloric acid was added, and the 

 mixture was filtered. The product melted at 64° C, the same as 

 the original sample. Also the original compound was treated in 

 acetic acid with bromine, by heating on the steam bath for one 

 and one-half hours. When the solution cooled, a flocculent preci- 

 pitate resulted. This precipitate, washed free of acetic acid 

 and bromine, gave a melting point of 63° C. ; the orignial com- 

 pound was recovered. The compound showed no physiological 

 effect, and it was concluded to be plant wax. The plant residue 

 left after the extraction by petroleum ether was extracted with 

 cold and hot absolute alcohol. No toxic substances were found 

 in this solution. Precipitation was obtained from the alcohol 

 extract by dilutions with water. An aliquot part of this precipi- 

 tate was vacuum dried and extracted by solvent. The products 

 •were administered in large dosage to dogs without resulting 

 effect. Extracts were obtained from this same plant material 

 using consecutively the solvents ether, chloroform, amyl alcohol, 



"Renson, Carlos, Pkarm. Journ. & Trans. (1891-92), 22, 982. 



