— 172 — 



luene being employed as an antiseptic. At the end of that period the 

 salicin was found partly split up into its constituents, of saligenin it was 

 possible to isolate a quantity equalling from 3 to 12°/o of the glucoside 

 used. The presence of salicylic acid, which was also observed, was ex- 

 plained by the oxidation of the saligenin. The addition of an excess of 

 glucose to the salicin appeared to produce no effect. 



The object of further experiments was to trace the generation of 

 salicin from saligenin and glucose. The experiments were made under 

 different conditions, and from 0,3 to 1,5% of the saligenin used was re- 

 covered in the form of salicin. 



When equimolecular quantities of saligenin and glucose were treated 

 with emulsin in aqueous solution, only from 0,25 to 0,8% of the saligenin 

 employed was converted into salicin. 



In a previous Report we referred to a paper by Greshoff 1 ) on the 

 occurrence of hydrocyanic acid in the common brake fern. A similar 

 publication by L. van Itallie' 2 ) has recently made its appearance, in which 

 the author communicates the results of his investigations as to the occur- 

 rence of hydrocyanic acid in the genus Thalictrum, He has discovered 

 that in Thalictrum aquilegifolium hydrocyanic acid occurs in the combined 

 state in the leaves, bracts, stem, flower and seed, but free hydrocyanic 

 acid only in the flowers. In the parts of the plant below the surface of 

 the soil the acid could not be detected. It is a curious fact that the 

 white-flowering variety of Thalictrum aquilegifolium contains rather more 

 hydrocyanic acid (0,030%, calculated for the green herb), than does the 

 red-flowering variety (0,024%). The author also made investigations as to 

 the proportion of hydrocyanic acid present at different times of the year, 

 but it was found that the season exerted very little influence. The hydro- 

 cyanic acid occurs probably in the form of a glucoside, possibly phaseo- 

 lunatine, but the glucoside could not be obtained pure. 



The author further examined the seeds of 26 species of Thalictrum 

 for hydrocyanic acid, but obtained positive results in two cases only, 

 viz. from T. aquilegifolium and T. angustifolium. 



Hydrocarbons. 



Camphene. As already mentioned by us on a previous occasion 3 ), 

 Semmler, while ozonising crude camphene, obtained camphenilone and 

 ^-hydroxycamphenilonic acid. Harries and Palmen 4 ) have repeated Semm- 

 ler's experiments, starting from pure camphene (m. p. 48 to 49°; b. p. 158 



!) Pharm. Weekblad 1908, 770; Report November 1908, 162. 



2 ) Arch, der Pharm. 248 (1910), 251 ; also comp. IUdem 243 (1905), 553. 



3 ) Berl. Berichte 42 (1909), 246; Report April 1909, 121. 



4 ) Berl. Berichte 43 (1910), 1432. 



