424       ON  THE  POISONOUS  PROPERTIES  OP  OIL  OF  ELEMI. 
M.  Cap  found  that  cherry  laurel  leaves,  between  the  15th  of 
June  and  the  15th  of  August  were  very  uniform  in  composition,  and 
that  the  distilled  water  made  during  that  season  was  reliable,  if 
the  process  was  conducted  with  the  requisite  care.  M.  Des- 
champs  determined  that  water  distilled  from  the  unbruised  leaves 
after  twenty-eight  hours'  maceration,  contained  thirty-five  per 
cent  less  hydrocyanic  acid  than  that  from  the  same  leaves,  after 
they  were  properly  bruised.  He  is  also  of  the  opinion  that 
about  five  drops  of  sulphuric  acid  added  to  each  pint  of  cherry 
laurel  water  very  much  increases  its  permanence. 
As  the  wild  cherry  grows  in  all  section  of  the  Union,  it  will 
afford  to  the  country  physicians  a  source  of  hydrocyanic  acid 
easily  attainable,  and  as  reliable  as  cherry  laurel  water. — Proc. 
Amer.  Pharm.  Assoc.  1858. 
ON  THE  POISONOUS  PROPERTIES  OF  THE  ETHEREAL  OIL  OF 
ELEMI. 
By  Dr.  Emil  Mannkoff. 
The  ethereal  oil  of  elemi  is  obtained  from  the  resin  of  elemi, 
brought  from  Brazil  and  Yucatan.  It  is  found  in  the  resin  in 
very  valuable  proportions,  but  on  the  average  it  may  be  consid- 
ered to  exist  in  the  quantity  of  about  six  per  cent.  The  oil  is 
transparent,  almost  colorless,  having  a  smell  which  is  not  un- 
pleasant, and  a  somewhat  acrid  and  bitter  taste.  It  is  insolu- 
ble in  water,  but  is  easily  disolved  in  alcohol  or  ether.  Ac- 
cording to  Stenhouse  and  Deville,  the  analysis  of  the  oil  of  elemi 
gave  the  formula  of  C5  H8. 
Dr.  Mannkoff  made  a  series  of  experiments  on  rabbits  and 
frogs,  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  the  operation  of  the  oil  upon 
the  animal  economy.  In  the  case  of  the  rabbits,  the  oil  was  in- 
jected into  the  stomach  by  means  of  an  elastic  catheter  ;  in  frogs 
the  same  operation  was  partially  resorted  to,  but  in  some  the 
oil  was  injected  under  the  skin  of  the  back.  In  a  few  cases  the 
oil  was  applied  locally  on  particular  parts  of  the  frogs. 
The  conclusions  drawn  by  Dr.  Mannkoff  as  to  the  operation 
of  the  oil  of  elemi  on  animals  are  the  following :  namely,  that 
when  applied  to  the  intestinal  tract,  it  produces  hemorrhagic 
