AmDJe°cU.riS9arm'}      To™c  Action  of  Abrus  Precatorius.  62& 
The  crude  resin  melts  at  90*5°.    It  contains  no  tannic  acid. 
The  second  sample  was  procured  from  Netallie,  Wilcannia,  Xew 
South  Wales.  It  presents  no  marked  points  of  difference,  as  regards 
physical  appearance,  from  the  preceding  one.  On  treating  it  with 
alcohol,  the  liquid  is  not  so  dark  as  that  yielded  by  the  preceding 
sample,  neither  is  the  color  so  rich.  It  resembles  tawny  port,  but 
is  a  little  darker. 
Light  petroleum  extracts  48*6  per  cent,  of  resin,  and  alcohol 
added  to  the  residue  extracts  36*4  per  cent. — Journal  Chem.  Soc, 
1889,  p.  665.   
THE  TOXIC  ACTION  OF  THE  ALBUMOSE  FROM  THE 
SEEDS  OF  ABRUS  PRECATORIUS.1 
By  Dr.  Sidney  Martin. 
In  a  previous  communication  (see  American  Journal  of 
Pharmacy,  1887,  page  503)  the  author  demonstrated  the  presence 
of  two  proteids  in  the  seeds  of  the  Abrus  precatorius  or  jequirity  plant 
— a  globulin  and  an  albumose — and  also  discussed  the  physiological 
action  of  the  globulin.  The  present  paper  deals  with  the  physiologi- 
cal action  of  the  albumose.  The  symptoms  produced  by  injecting 
hypodermically  the  albumose  are  increasing  weakness,  with  rapid 
breathing,  without  convulsions  or  paralysis.  The  post-mortem  appear- 
ances are  local  oedema  or  ecchyniosis,  and  gastro-enteritis  with  occa- 
sionally petechia?  on  the  serous  membranes ;  the  blood  usually  dark 
and  fluid.  When  applied  directly  to  the  eye  the  albumose  causes 
severe  conjunctivitis  and  chemosis. 
The  poisonous  action  of  the  albumose  is  completely  destroyed  by 
boiling  the  solution.  Up  to  50°  C.  no  effect  is  produced ;  at  70°  to 
75°  C.  the  albumose  is  still  poisonous,  but  not  nearly  to  so  great  a 
degree  as  previous  to  heating ;  at  80°  C.  a  still  further  diminution  in 
activity  is  produced.  The  action  of  the  albumose  in  producing  con- 
junctivitis is  also  diminished  by  heat.  It  will  be  seen  that  there  is  a 
great  resemblance  in  chemical  composition  between  the  abrus-poison 
and  the  toxic  principle  of  snake-venom.  Weir  Mitchell  and  Reichert 
describe  the  venom  of  the  rattlesnake  as  consisting  of  a  globulin  and 
a  peptone.  The  latter,  however,  is  not  a  true  peptone,  and  is  proba- 
bly closely  allied  to  the  albumose  class  of  proteids.    If  the  venom  of 
1Proc.  Royal  Society,  vol.  xlvi ;  reprinted  from  The  Medical  Chronicle,  Novem- 
ber, 1889. 
