— n6 — 



canal. Finally the sensation of cold was also transferred to the mu- 

 cous membrane of the nose and even to the cuticle, but no change 

 of the circulation in the cellular tissue of the skin was observable. It 

 follows that menthol excites the extreme parts of the nervous organs 

 susceptible to, or capable of, transmitting cold, wherever it comes in 

 contact with them. 



It has been repeatedly observed that the oil of Umbellularia cali- 

 fornica Nuttall possesses a pungent odour which stimulates the action 

 of the lachrymal duct, and also produces headache, and it has further 

 been discovered 1 ) that these unpleasant effects are due especially to 

 the fractions containing umbellulone, a substance which has recently 

 been examined in detail. We have also had occasion lately to ob- 

 serve the action mentioned above when preparing umbellulone, and 

 at our request Prof. R. Kobert, of Rostock, has examined this ketone 

 pharmacologically. We are indebted to the Professor for the following 

 report on the result of his investigations: — 



"The action of umbellulone was tried both on warm-blooded and 

 on cold-blooded animals. With frogs it has a central paralysing action 

 upon the nervous system. A 0,05 g. dose suffices to paralyse medium- 

 sized, vigorous specimens of Rana esculenta within 15 minutes, causing 

 them to lie prone as if in death and to be irresponsive to any excit- 

 ants. But the motoric nerve cylinders continue to be responsive to 

 the electric current, and the heart continues to beat for several hours, 

 when its action slowly ceases. A dose of 0,025 g. also induces com- 

 plete paralysis, but in this case recovery takes place after an interval 

 of some hours. Neither large nor small doses produce convulsions. 

 1 g. of umbellulone injected into a small rabbit weighing 570 g. pro- 

 duced symptoms resembling intoxication in the course of 15 minutes. 

 After a further interval of 10 minutes it lay as if in a profound sleep 

 and was almost irresponsive to excitants. At first respiration and 

 cardiac action continued normal. 40 minutes after the injection the 

 respiration and the beating of the heart grew fainter and 50 minutes 

 after the injection the animal died without any symptoms of excitation. 

 This experiment led to the idea of using umbellulone as a narcotic, 

 and a much smaller dose was tested for possible subsidiary effects. 

 As small a dose as 0,4 g. per 1500 g. rabbit (hypodermically) produced 

 dislike for food lasting several days and albumen in the urine. In 

 contact with blood -corpuscles, umbellulone causes haemolysis, even 

 when greatly diluted. In view of these facts the use of umbellulone 

 in therapy is probably out of the question." 



*) Heany, Americ. Journ. Pharm. 47 (1875), 105; Pharmaceutical Journal III. 5 

 i l %7S)> 79 l 'y Stillman, Berl. Berichte 13 (1880), 630; Power and Lees, Journ. 

 chem. Soc. 85 (1904), 629. Report October 1904, 87. 



