264 
RESEARCHES  ON  SOME  ORGANIC  ACIDS. 
the  juice  contains  so  small  a  quantity  of  ecbaline  that  the  loss 
of  alcohol  and  working  expenses  would  not  be  covered  by  the 
value  of  the  substance  produced  :  that  the  only  portion  which 
yields  ecbaline  is  the  insoluble  deposit  from  the  juice,  which  we 
already  know  under  the  name  of  extract  of  elaterium,  this  sub- 
stance yielding  the  ecbaline  with  ease  :  and  that  the  aqueous 
portion  of  the  juice  is  perfectly  worthless  for  the  purpose. 
Thus  we  find  that  the  quantity  of  ecbaline  yielded  by  the 
large  bulk  of  one  bushel  of  cucumbers  is  only  at  most  30  grains, 
and  as  the  labor  and  expense  attendant  upon  the  operation  is 
considerable,  it  must  be  evident  that  the  substance  must  remain 
a  very  expensive  one  to  manufacture  ;  and  I  am  inclined  to  think 
it  very  probable  that  ecbaline  can  be  made  (at  any  rate  in  Lon- 
don) at  a  cheaper  rate  from  ext.  elaterium  itself  than  direct 
from  the  cucumbers. 
I  may  add  in  conclusion  that  through  Messrs.  Savory  and 
Sons  I  have  been  able  to  operate  upon  some  German  extract  of 
elaterium.  This  extract  is  in  appearance  similar  to  ordinary 
extract  of  henbane,  or  liquorice,  and  is  evidently  obtained  from 
the  plant  itself,  and  was  sold  as  low  as  10s.  6d.  per  lb.  It  was 
imagined  that  this  extract  might  be  a  cheap  source  for  the  pro- 
duction of  the  ecbaline.  One  ounce  of  it  was  digested  with  boil- 
ing alcohol  and  the  alcoholic  extract  prepared,  which  was  then 
treated  with  the  solution  of  caustic  potash  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  other  extract ;  but  I  have  been  unable  to  obtain  even  the 
slightest  trace  of  crystalline  matter  from  it.  It  would  be  inter- 
esting to  know  whether  the  extract  itself  has  any  cathartic 
action. — GJiemical  News,  London  Feb.  1860. 
RESEARCHES  ON  SOME  ORGANIC  ACIDS. 
Br  Profeesor  J.  Liebig. 
Pelouze  reported  to  the  French  Academy,  the  discovery  of 
the  artificial  formation  of  tartaric  acid,  by  Liebig,  (see  page 
86  of  this  volume,)  when  Biot  suggested  that  the  optical  be- 
haviour of  this  artificial  acid  might  be  investigated  by  certain 
experiments,  which  have  now  been  performed  by  Dr.  Bohn,  of 
Munich.     The  result  was,  that  Liebig's  acid  deviated  the 
