C82 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [February 25, 1871. 
CASTOR-OIL SOAP. 
BY F. M. EIMMINGTON. 
It is somewhat remarkable that our present En¬ 
glish pharmacy has no pure medicinal soap possess¬ 
ing any characteristic property or medicinal activity. 
The ordinary Castile soap, being that which is com¬ 
monly used for that ordered by the Pharmacopoeia, 
can scarcely be considered a satisfactory article 
when we consider its composition and the mode of 
its manufacture. Having recently had occasion to 
direct my attention to this subject, it occurred to me 
that castor-oil offered some advantages, and would 
yield a soap possessing qualities very desirable in an 
article which so frequently formed the medium or 
adjunct for administering other active remedies. On 
putting this idea into practice, I found that a soap 
prepared from this oil has rather marked qualities, 
but my opportunities do not afford me the means of 
properly testing its medicinal properties. I believe 
it will be found that it has sufficient aperient power 
to relax the bowels when taken consecutively for 
several days, but I believe its greatest value will be 
found as an adjunct to other aperients. This at 
least is the result I have arrived at. It is, of course, 
well known that the purgative principle of castor oil 
has been ascribed by Soubeiran to the existence of 
a supposed oleo-resin, and that the ricinoleic acid is 
extremely acrid. I find when the oil is saponified 
that this acrid principle is either entirely or par¬ 
tially liberated, and does not continue masked as it 
is in the oil in its natural state, nor neutralized, as 
might be expected, by the alkali. It is to this fact, I 
tliink, we must look for any active property this soap 
may possess; and here I must leave the matter for 
the further investigation of the medical and pharma¬ 
ceutical professions. The physical properties of the 
soap are in its favour for use in medicine. It has a 
clean yellowish-white colour, is free from smell; it 
soon becomes dry, hard and is easily powdered; it has 
no tendency to soften or deliquesce on exposure to 
the air. In proof spirit it makes a perfectly clear 
and colourless solution, with only little sediment. 
I shall forward a specimen to the Society for the 
inspection of those who may feel interested. 
MAGNIFICENT FLUORESCENCE OF 
PEPPERMINT OIL. 
BY PEOFESSOE FLUCKIGEE. 
50 to 70 drops of peppermint oil shaken with one 
drop of nitric acid, about 1'2 sp. gr., turn faintly 
yellowish, brownish, and, after an hour or two, ex¬ 
hibit a most beautiful blue-violet, or greenisli-blue 
colour, when examined in transparent light. When 
observed in reflected light, the liquid is of a copper 
colour, and not transparent. If the mixture is 
warmed, the green or blue coloration takes place 
speedily; it may also be immediately provoked by 
adding a greater amount of nitric acid, say 1 drop 
to 19, or 9 drops of the essential oil. 
Bisulphide of carbon contributes in no way to im- 
piove the test. All the various specimens of pepper¬ 
mint oil at my command show the same behaviour, 
but the blue or greenish-blue hue exhibits very ap¬ 
preciable differences, which ought to be further ex¬ 
amined by chemists possessing authentic specimens 
of the oil under notice. A very old specimen of an 
originally excellent English oil, however, was no 
longer coloured. 
The colour which peppermint oil thus acquires is 
remarkable on account of its persistencjq for it lasts 
a week or two, at least in cold. Yet, unfortunately, 
it appears not capable of being applied as a true 
test; an admixture of 5 per cent, of oil of turpentine, 
for instance, does not at all prevent peppermint oil 
from assuming the blue or green colour; on the 
other hand, I have not as yet met with any other 
oil partaking of the same behaviour; carven, the 
the more volatile portion of caraway-oil, also ac¬ 
quires a slight similar fluorescence, but by no means 
comparable to the above-described as regards purity 
and intensity of colour. 
Peppermint oil, which has become coloured in 
this way, is quickly decolorized if shaken with car¬ 
bonate of calcium; granulated zinc likewise causes 
it slowly to turn brownish. Spectroscopic examina¬ 
tion of the coloured oil furnishes no phenomena of 
particular interest. Chromic acid, dissolved in chlo¬ 
roform, does not perform the same reaction as nitric 
acid. 
Berne , January 1871. 
CYTISIN. 
An article, by Dr. William Marine, “ On the 
Action and Production of Cytisin,” appears in a 
recent number of the ‘ Transactions of the Academy 
of Gottingen.’ Cytisin was first separated by the 
writer, in conjunction with Professor Aug. Huse- 
mann, from the unripe pods and ripe seeds of Cytisus 
Laburnum, Linn., as a strongly alkaline vegetable- 
base, easily crystallizable, and forming single and 
double salts, readily soluble in water and alcohol, 
but not in ether. The following observations sup¬ 
plement those already published in the ‘ Zeitsclmft 
fur Cliemie,’ 8tli Jahrg. p. 161, and Husemann’s 
‘ Neues Jalirbuch fur Pharmacie,’ xxxi. pp. 1-21. 
1. Action of Cytisin upon Animals .—The poisonous 
action of cytisin, the pure alkali as well as the very 
easily crystallizable nitric salt, extends to animals 
of every type. This was established by experiments 
on animals belonging to the various classes of Pro¬ 
tozoa, Coelenterata, Echinodermata, Vermes, Crus¬ 
tacea, Arachnoidea, Myriapoda, Insecta, Mollusca, 
Pisces, Amphibia, Iteptilia, Aves, and Mammalia. 
The poisonous action takes effect by application to 
all parts of the system, except the outer skin. A 
very small dose is fatal to all the higher animals. 
For frogs a dose of , 002- , 004 gramme was sufficient; 
for young pigeons - 003 gr.; for owls '001 gr.; for jays 
•0015 gr.; for cats ‘OS-OS gr.; for dogs *06-T gr.; 
for rabbits '05- - 08 gr., and for kids •3-4- gr., by sub¬ 
cutaneous application; or by injection, for cats 
‘015 gr.; for dogs , 025- , 05 gr., and for rabbits 
•01-015 gr. of cytisin nitrate. Usually the poison 
acts in the first place by exciting, the excitation soon 
passing away, and giving place to a depression or com¬ 
plete paralysis, with a rapidity in proportion to the 
amount of the dose. The function of the cerebrum 
is not directly affected; no narcotic action, properly 
speaking, is exhibited with the lower animals. The 
spinal cord and the motor nerves are at first excited, 
a more or less complete paralysis following, which 
commences in the peripheric ends of the motor nerves. 
The voluntary muscles may be completely excited 
