xii, a, 4 Brill and Wells: Medicinal Plants, II 195 



By treatment with hydriodic acid according to the method of 

 Zeisel, /3-methyl-sesculetin splits into methyl iodide and resculetin. 



The compound isolated from Hymenodictyon gives the above 

 reactions, and we, therefore, announce the presence of /Mnethyl- 

 aesculetin in the Philippine Hymenodictyon excelsum. 



SUMMARY 



The following-named plants were examined for physiologically 

 active constituents with the results noted: Lophopetalum toxi- 

 cum Loher contains a saponin which is poisonous in small 

 quantities. Erythrophloeum densiflorum (Elm.) Merrill con- 

 tains tannins, but no substances with any marked physio- 

 logical properties. Quisqualis indica L. contains an oil in the 

 seeds which has purgative properties ; a gum in the stems which 

 is inactive physiologically, but gives some of the chemical tests 

 of the alkaloids; and a considerable amount of potassium sul- 

 phate. Tylophora brevipes (Turcz.) F.-Vill. contains an alka- 

 loid identical in properties with tylophorine found by Hooper 

 in Tylophora asthmatica growing in India. Toddalia asiatica 

 (L.) Kurz contains the alkaloid berberine. Lunasia amara 

 Blanco contains an alkaloid identical in properties with lunasine 

 found by Boorsma in Lunasia costulata Miq. in Java. Rourea 

 erecta (Blanco) Merrill is physiologically active toward the 

 Carnivora, but inactive toward the Herbivora; the active prin- 

 ciple could not be isolated, but further attempts will be made 

 to isolate this when larger quantities of material are available. 

 Hymenodictyon excelsum Wall. ( ?) contains /?-methyl-sesculetin. 

 It differs from H. excelsum of India, since the latter contains 

 sesculin, according to Broughton, while Naylor claims to have 

 found an alkaloid, which has been named hymenodictyonine by 

 him. 



