J204 
Oil  of  Bergamot. 
I  Am.  Jour.  Pharni, 
\        May,  1908. 
Specific  Rotatory 
Melting  Point.  Power. 
Purified  alkaloid  from  Hyoscyamus  muticus  1070  C.  — 20*4°  C. 
Pnre  hyoscyamine  1080  C.  — 210  C. 
"  atropine  in0  C.  Inactive. 
"   hyoscine   liquid  at  ordinary  laevorotatory. 
temperatures. 
The  above  figures  show  that  the  alkaloid  consists  of  practically 
pure  hyoscyamine. 
Ransom  and  Henderson  (Year  Book  Pharm.,  1903)  prepared 
standardized  tinctures  from  Hyoscyamus  muticus,  Egyptian,  for  the 
purpose  of  therapeutic  examination.  Mr.  W.  A.  Shann,  M.B.,  re- 
ported as  follows  : 
"  I  have  a  very  strong  impression  that  the  tincture  of  Hyoscyamus 
muticus  is  markedly  superior  to  the  ordinary  tincture.  In  the  first  case 
in  which  I  tried  it — a  case  of  inflammation  of  the  bladder— the 
relief  was  immediate,  and  my  subsequent  experience  has  confirmed 
me  in  the  opinion  that  it  is  a  reliable  preparation  of  considerable 
therapeutic  value.  I  have  found,  too,  that  smaller  doses  were  re- 
quired than  of  the  ordinary  B.  P.  official  tincture  (not  standardized), 
and  I  now  always  prescribe  it  in  preference  to  the  ordinary  tincture." 
The  Egyptian  variety  of  Hyoscyamus  muticus  is  evidently  equal  if 
not  superior  in  therapeutic  value  to  the  official  drug,  and  would  yield 
more  elegant  preparations  than  the  latter.  As  the  drug  can  be  ob- 
tained in  large  quantities,  I  think  the  question  of  its  use  in  Western 
medicine  should  be  taken  up. 
Analytical  Department  Parke,  Davis  &  Co., 
Detroit,  Michigan. 
OIL  OF  BERGAMOT. 
By  Edwin  Dowzard. 
The  constituents  of  bergamot  oil  which  have  so  far  been  identi- 
fied are :  linalyl  acetate,  linalol,  limonene  and  bergaptene.  H.  v. 
Soden  and  W,  Rojahn  {Pharm.  Zeit.,  46,  1901,  778)  have,  in  addi- 
tion to  bergaptene,  isolated  another  crystalline  compound.  This 
new  body  has  been  named  "  bergaptin."  Burgess  and  Page  {Jour. 
Chem.  Soc,  85,  1904,  1327)  have  also  detected  free  acetic  acid, 
an  octylene,  pinene  and  camphene.    Schimmel  &  Co.  criticise  the 
