72 
Gleanings  In  Materia  3fedica. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1      Feb.,  1882. 
pound  thus  obtained  was  identical  in  every  respect  with  the  addi- 
tion product  of  codeine  and  methyl  iodide. 
On  repeating  the  experiment,  reducing  the  proportion  of  methyl 
iodide  to  half  that  employed  in  the  first  operation,  free  codeine  was 
obtained,  although  in  small  amount— 2  grams  of  hydrochlorate  of 
»  codeine  from  20  grams  of  morphine.  The  codeine  thus  obtained  was 
in  every  respect  identical  with  that  obtained  from  opium.  Upon 
operating  with  ethyl  iodide,  instead  of  the  methyl  compound,  there 
was  obtained  a  new  base,  C19H23NO3,  homologous  with  codeine.  This 
base  can  be  obtained  in  fine  crystals,  fusing  at  83°,  readily  soluble  in 
ether  and  alcohol,  and  a  little  less  soluble  in  boiling  water  than 
codeine.  To  this  class  of  ethers  of  morphine  M.  Grimaux  proposes 
to  give  the  name  of  codeines. —  Comj^tes  rendus,  92,  1140. 
GLEANINGS  IN  MATERIA  MEDICA. 
By  the  Editor. 
Euphorbia  Lathyris,  Lin. — This  plant,  known  as  caper  spurge,  is 
often  cultivated  as  an  ornamental  plant,  and  to  a  certain  extent  natu- 
ralized in  the  United  States.  E.  Sudour  and  A.  Caraven-Cachin, 
having  observed  the  effects  of  the  seeds,  state  that  tliey  are  drastic, 
purgative  and  contain  the  active  principle  in  very  variable  proportion. 
An  emetic  effect  always  precedes  the  purgative  action,  even  if  the  dose 
be  small,  and  may  manifest  itself  in  45  minutes,  or  may  be  retarded 
for  three  hours.  The  seeds  have  an  irritating  action  upon  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  digestive  canal,  principally  in'the  larger  intestines 
and  in  the  back-throat,  if  mastication  has  been  sufficiently  prolonged. 
The  toxic  effects,  produced  by  large  doses,  may  be  divided  into  three 
periods:  1,  the  cold  stage  (vomiting,  diarrhoea);  2,  the  stage  of  excita- 
tion (nervous  affects,  vertigo,  delirium) ;  3,  the  stage  of  reaction  (heat, 
abundant  sweating).  Opiates  are  the  best  and  most  prompt  remedies 
against  these  effects.  In  doses  of  6  to  12  seeds,  which  are  recommended 
in  several  works,  violent  gastro-intestinal  irritation  may  be  produced. 
The  drug  being  very  active,  and  frequently  variable,  should  not  be 
employed  in  medicine. — Bej).  de  Phar.,  Nov.,  1881,  pp.  526,  527. 
A  New  Jasmine  from  Samoa  is  described  by  Ferd.  Yon  Mueller, 
who  regards  it  as  having  not  merely  horticultural  value,  but  also  for 
perfumery  purposes.  The  following  may  be  offered  as  a  diagnostic 
limitation : 
