N. O. EMPIIORBIACE^. 1123 



also in gonorrhoea (S. Arjun). The root is given by the Santals 

 to allay vomiting, and the plant to nursing mothers when the 

 supply of milk is deficient or fails (Revd. A. Campbell). It has 

 a reputation as a vermifuge (Dymock). 



The capital symptom calling for this new remedy is paroxysmal spasmodic 



dyspnoea Dr. Tison gives favourable reports of this medicine in 



dyspnoeas of cardiac origin In all his patients the heart and kidneys 



seem to have been sound. The Euphorbia pilulifera has not seemed to have 

 any action on the cough and expectoration in chronic bronchitis, nor it 



seemed to modify the rales of humid asthma In its mode of action 



it acts in two ways : locally on the stomach, and, after having been absorbed, 

 on the respiratory functions. 



Conclusions. 



1, The active principle of euphorbia pilulifera is soluble in dilate alcohol 

 and water, insoluble or but little soluble in ether, chloroform, di-sulphide of 

 carbon and essence of turpentine. 2. It is toxic in small doses to small 

 animals, killing them by arrest of the respiratory movements and cardiac 

 pulsations, which are first accelerated, then slowed. 3. Its effects are not 

 cumulative. 4. It seems to act directly on the respiratory and cardiac 

 centres ; it leaves intact the other organs. 5. It seems to be eliminated by 

 the liver. 6. Locally it is without action on the skin and mucous membranes, 

 except the gastric mucous membrane, which it irritates. 7. It gives good 

 results in attacks of dyspnoea caused by spasmodic asthma, emphysema, 

 or chronic bronchitis. It ought to be employed in daily doses corresponding 

 at the most to one gramme of the dried plant, and should be taken well 

 diluted with water at meal time. {Quart. Therap. Rev., Jul. 1885.) 



The entire plant of Euphorbia pilulifera L. which had been obtained from 

 the Fiji Island, was examined. The air dried material was extracted with 

 alcohol, and the extract distilled with steam, when about 0*02 per cent, of 

 an essential oil was obtained. The following substances were isolated from 

 that portion of the alcoholic extract soluble in water : gallic acid, quercetin, 

 and a new phenolic substance, C 28 H l3 15 . The aqueous liquid also contained 

 amorphus glucoside material and a lsevo-rotatory sugar which yieided al- 

 phenyl-glucosazone. The soft resinous material left aftertreating the 

 alcoholic extract with water amounted to about 3' 2 per cent, of the original 

 air dried material. This yielded the following substances : tricieontane and 

 apparently a little ceryl alcohol ; a new monohydric alcohol, euphosterol, 

 C 2b H 3 c,OH, m. pt. 274°— 275°C, giving an acetyl derivative m. pt. 295°— 207°C, 

 and a bromo acetyl derivative m. pt. 183°— 186°C, a phytosterol m. pt. 132° — 

 133°C; a phytosterolin ; Jambulol CigH 3 4 (O. H) 5 ; melissic acid and a mixture 

 of higher fatty acids. Euphosterol is evidently closely related to taraxasterol 

 and homotaraxasterol.— (Abstract from Ph. J. of 1913 in the J. Ch. I. for 

 May 15, 1913, p. 505.) 



Among the various constituents, there is none to which any specific 

 physiological action may be ascribed. Such therapeutic virtues as the plant 



