ADe'cJemberPhit97m  }    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  645 
sphaerocarpa,  by  the  ordinary  processes,  a  perfectly  definite  alkaloid, 
which  they  have  named  Retamine.  A  kilogramme  of  the  fresh 
plant  furnished  some  4  grammes  of  alkaloid.  This  alkaloid  is 
slightly  soluble  in  water  and  in  ether ;  alcohol  and  petroleum  ether 
dissolve  it  more  readily ;  and  chloroform  dissolves  it  very  readily, 
but  not  without  some  decomposition.  It  crystallizes  in  long  needles 
by  chilling  the  saturated  petroleum  ether  solution,  and  in  prismatic 
plates  by  similarly  cooling  the  saturated  alcoholic  solution;  the 
spontaneous  evaporation  of  its  alcoholic  solution  yields  beautiful 
rectangular  tables.  It  is  dextrogyre,  melts  at  1620  C,  and  decom- 
poses at  a  higher  temperature,  giving  a  sublimate  in  long  needles, 
and  other  products  having  the  odor  of  pyridine. 
Retamine  imparts  a  distinct  color  to  phenolphtalein.  It  is  a  powerful 
base,  which  combines  energetically  with  acids,  and  yields  clearly-de- 
fined salt*.  It  displaces  ammonia,  especially  with  heat,  and  precipitates 
the  hydrates  of  iron,  copper,  etc.  The  caustic  alkalies  precipitate  it 
from  its  saline  solutions.  It  possesses  extremely  energetic  reducing 
action — the  chloride  of  gold  and  phosphomolybdic  acid  are  instantly 
reduced,  the  salts  of  silver  and  ferricyanide  of  potassium  are  more 
slowly  reduced,  while  the  mercuric  chloride  is  changed  to  the  mer- 
curous  salt.  It  gives  the  general  reactions  of  alkaloids  and  furnishes 
with  potassium  bismuth  iodide,  a  beautiful  red  precipitate.  The 
chloride  of  platinum  is  not  precipitate,  by  it,  but  it  gives  feebly,  with 
ammonium  sulphide,  the  reaction  of  sparteine. 
The  salts  of  retamine  crystallize  very  easily  and  with  great  dis- 
tinctness, except  the  nitrate,  which  has  only  been  obtained  in  the 
form  of  a  varnish.  The  salts  which  have  been  studied  contain  for  1 
molecule  of  retamine,  either  1  or  2  molecules  of  monobasic  acid. 
The  solubility  in  absolute  alcohol  is  2^462  parts  in  100  of  solvent. 
The  specific  rotation  is  [a~\B  =  43°,i5/.  The  elementary  analysis 
indicated  the  formula  C15H26N20.  It  is  probably  an  oxysparteine, 
but  differs  from  the  artificial  oxysparteine  known  at  present. 
THE  TREATMENT  OF  TUBERCULOSIS  WITH  CINNAMIC  ACID^ 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  a  remedy  is  recommended  for  the 
treatment  of  tuberculosis,  which  is  neither  a  new  synthetic  com- 
pound nor  a  product  of  some  manufacturing  firm. 
Dr.  T.  Heusser,  of  Davos- Platz  (Therapeutische  Monatshefte ; 
}  The  New  York  Medical  Journal,  October  16,  1897. 
