10 BULLETIN 1057, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
of the freshly expressed oil was 0.925 at 25° C. .It is completely 
devoid of optical activity, whereas chaulmoogra oil, as already 
noted, is strongly dextrorotatory, and it also differs from the lat- 
ter oil by containing none of the members of the chaulmoogric 
acid series. 
Gynocardia oil has been shown to consist of the glyceryl esters 
of the following well-known acids: (1) Linolic acid, or isomerides 
of the same series, constituting the largest proportion of the oil; 
(2) palmitic acid, in considerable amount; (3) linolenic and iso- 
linolenic acids, the latter preponderating; and (4) oleic acid, in 
relatively small amount. 
Gynocardia seeds contain, in addition to the fatty oil, a crystalline 
cyanogenetic glucoside, C 13 H 19 9 N, which has been designated gyno- 
cardin, and an enzyme, termed gynocardase {21). 
RECENT INFORMATION ON THE CHAULMOOGRA TREE AND 
SOME RELATED SPECIES. 
By Joseph F. Rock, Agricultural Explorer, Office of Foreign Seed and Plant 
Introduction. 
HYDNOCARPUS ANTHELMINTHICA. 4 
In 1919 the writer visited Bangkok en route to Singapore and 
Java. While at Bangkok inquiry was made regarding Hydnocarpus 
ant helminthica, but not much information was obtained. Dr. Mordern 
Carthew, resident physician and director of the Insane Asjium of 
Bangkok, had paid special attention to leprosy and for a number 
of years had treated the lepers in the Bangkok prison. He treated 
these lepers of his own accord with Dr. Leonard Roger's gynocardate 
of sodium "A" 5 by intravenous injection and with tablets by mouth. 
Reports regarding his successes and failures with Roger's medica- 
ments have been published. While at the insane asylum one day Dr. 
Carthew showed the writer a tree growing in the asylum compound. 
This tree, which he said was called maikrabao or lukrabao by the 
Siamese, proved to be none other than Hydnocarpus anthelminthica 
Pierre. About a dozen fruits were obtained at that time and the seeds 
forwarded to Honolulu, Hawaii, where they promptly germinated. 
In 192Q the writer again visited Siam and made it a point to locate 
Hydnocarpus anthelminthica in its native haunts. It was exceedingly 
difficult to obtain any information about this species, even from the 
Government forest office. The tree is grown as an ornamental and 
is exceedingly handsome when well taken care of. It has been ex- 
* Hydnocarpus anthelminthica Pierre (7, p. 523). Mentioned without adequate descrip- 
tion in Lanessan (U, p. 303). Specimens collected by the writer are deposited in the 
United States National Herbarium: Rock No. 1189, U. S. N. H. Nos. 1,090,027 and 
1,090,028 ; Rock No. 497, U. S. N. H. No. 1,090,003. 
6 A sodium compound of the higher fatty acids of chaulmoogra oil. 
