§ 258 .] HYDROCYANIC ACID. 207 
Dhurrin, C 17 H 17 0 7 N, yields on hydrolysis, hydric cyanide, hydroxy- 
benzaldehyde, and dextrose. 
Phaseo-lunatin, C 10 H 17 O 6 N, may be obtained in rosettes of needle-like 
crystals, m.p. 141-0°. Hydrolysis breaks the glucoside up into hydric 
cyanide, acetone, and dextrose— 
C 10 H 17 O 6 N+H 2 O HCN+ C 6 H 12 0 6 +(CH 3 ) 2 C0. 
F. B. Power and F. H. Lees 1 have isolated from the seeds of 
Gynocardata odorata a glucoside which they name gynocardin, C 13 H 19 0 9 N, 
on hydrolysis yielding hydric cyanide, dextrose, and an acid. 
Many cases of death occurring among cattle fed on immature 
sorghum have been shown by J. C. Brunnich 2 to be due to 
“ dhurrin.” 
Greshoff 3 has discovered an amygdalin-like glucoside in the two 
tropical trees Pygeum parviflorum and P. latifolium. The same author 
states that the leaves of Gymnema latifolium, one of the Asclepiads, 
yield to distillation benzaldehyde hydrocyanide. Both Lasia and 
Cyrtosperma, plants belonging to the natural family of the Orontads, 
contain in their flowers potassic cyanide. Pangium edule, according to 
Greshoff, contains so much potassic cyanide that he was able to prepare 
a considerable quantity of that salt from one sample of the plant. An 
Indian plant ( Hydnocarpus inebrians ) also contains a cyanide, and has 
been used for the purpose of destroying fish. Among the Tiliads, 
Greshoff found that Echinocarpus Sigun yielded hydrocyanic acid on 
distillation. Even the common linseed contains a glucoside which 
breaks up into sugar, prussic acid, and a ketone. 
The following plants, with many others, all yield, by appropriate treat¬ 
ment, more or less prussic acid :—Bitter almonds ( Amygdalus communis) ; 
the Amygdalus persica ; the cherry laurel ( Prunus laurocerasus) ; the 
kernels of the plum ( Prunus domestica) ; the bark, leaves, flowers, and 
fruit of the wild service-tree ( Prunus padus) ; the kernels of the common 
cherry and the apple ; the leaves of the Prunus capricida ; the bark 
of the Pr. virginiana ; the flowers and kernels of the Pr. spinosa ; 
the leaves of the Cerasus acida ; the bark and almost all parts of the 
Sorbus aucuparia, S. hybrida, and S. torminalis ; the young twigs of 
the Crataegus oxyacantha ; the leaves and partly also the flowers 
of the shrubby Spircece, such as Spircea aruncus, S. sorbifolia, 
1 Journ. Chem. Soc., lxxxix., 1905. 
2 Ibid., lxxxiii., 1903. 
3 M. Greshoff, “ Erster Bericht iiber die Untersuchung von Pflanzenstoffen 
Niederlandisch - Indiens,” Mittheilungen aus dem chemisch - pharmakologischen 
Laboratorium des botan. Gartens des Staates, vii., Batavia, 1890. Dr Greshoff’s research 
indicates that there are several other cyanide-yielding plants than those mentioned 
in the text. 
