— 164 — 



the camphor combines with glucuronic acid and hydroxylises in the course 

 of the process. It appears from the results of Mayer's experiments in the 

 administration of inactive camphor to dogs that formation of an asymmetric 

 glycuronic acid compound may take place in the organism. Mayer obser- 

 ved that after giving dogs i-camphor (5 g. daily for 10 days) with their 

 food, the urine became laevorotatory (corresponding to a glucose content 

 of 1,6 °/ ). By itself this lsevorotation signifies nothing, for the camphor 

 separates out as d- and 1- camphor -glucuronic acid (? camphorol- glu- 

 curonic acid) which do not constitute optical antipodes. In order to 

 determine whether this camphorol itself was optically active, it was 

 isolated by splitting -up the acid (boiling with 10 per cent, sulphuric 

 acid) and, after having been identified by the semicarbazide-compound 

 (m. p. 232 to 2 3 4 ) its optical behaviour was examined. The specific 

 rotation in absolute alcohol was found to be Mdi7° — 5»9i °; while that 

 of pure 1-camphorol, as observed by Magnus -Levy was Md — 32,93°. 

 Hence the camphorol formed within the organism from i-camphor 

 consisted to the extent of 17,9% °* tne lsevo -rotatory variety, from 

 which it was further to be concluded that the two optically active 

 isomerides of camphor are not converted in the organism in the same 

 degree. The investigations by Langgaard and Maass x ), Hamalainen 2 ), 

 and Bruni 3 ), to which we have already referred, prove that their 

 pharmacological action also differs. 



On the action of citronella - grass on the tsetse-fly (Glossina 

 palpalis), see p. 44. 



On the physiological action of cypress oil, see p. 53. 



On cases of poisoning with methyl salicylate, see p. 128. 



On the alleged toxicity of vanillin, see p. 143. 



Phyto- physiological Notes. 



M. Mirande 4 ) has recently reported on a peculiar occurrence observed 

 by him in the case of plants containing glucosides. By exposing plants 

 containing amygdalin to the action of mercury vapours, or carbon 

 disulphide, or of anaesthetics, such as chloroform, he found that hydro- 

 cyanic acid was liberated. According to a communication by L. Guig- 

 nard 5 ) the cruciferous plants containing sinigrin, such as mustard and 

 horseradish, liberate oil of mustard under similar conditions, while 

 Gaultheria procumbens yields methyl salicylate. 



x ) Therap. Monatsh. 20 (1907), 573; Report April 1908, 176. 



2 ) Skandinav. Archiv f. Physiologie 21 (1908), 64; Report April 1909, 1*3. 



8 ) Gazz. chim. ital. II. 38 (1908), 1; Report April 1909, 1-6 1. 



4 ) Compt. rend. 149 (1909), 140. 



s ) Compt. rend. 149 (1909), 91. 



