Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1887. 
Chemical  Notes. 
69 
with  petroleum  benzin  yielded  a  pale  yellow  liquid,  which  on  spon- 
taneous evaporation  left  18.75  per  cent,  of  oily  residue.  Caustic  po- 
tassa  gave  with  myrrh  a  solution  of  a  brilliant  red  color,  turning  to 
amber  color  on  dilution.  The  gum  left  on  treatment  with  alcohol  had 
a  barely  perceptible  odor  of  myrrh  and  a  slightly  mucilaginous  taste, 
was  neutral  to  test  paper,  and  though  of  a  pale  color,  gave  with  water 
a  dark  brown  solution,  the  odor  changing  and  becoming  stronger, 
without  apparent  decomposition.  The  insoluble  portion  amounted  to 
15  per  cent.,  or  8.4  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  myrrh.  The  dilute 
solution  (1:450)  acquired  a  purple  color  by  ferric  chloride,  changed  to 
reddish  yellow  by  ammonia.  Stronger  solutions  were  precipitated 
by  alcohol,  not  gelatinized  by  borax,  and  the  precipitate  with  sub- 
acetate  of  lead  was  not  redissolved.  A  castor-oil  emulsion  made 
with  the  gum,  proved  to  be  not  permanent.  The  gum  makes  a 
good  mucilage  and  should  be  saved  for  that  purpose  in  making  tinc- 
ture of  myrrh. 
Damiana. — The  leaves  of  Turnera  aphrodisiaca,  Ward>  have  been 
examined  by  F.  W.  Pantzer,  Ph.  G.  The  air-dry  leaves  lost  in  a 
drying  chamber  11  per  cent,  of  moisture  and  volatile  oil,  yielded  9.68 
per  cent,  of  ash.  Petroleum  benzin  extracted  7  per  cent,  of  volatile  oil,  fat, 
wax  and  resinous  matter.  Alcohol  of  80  per  cent,  yielded  20  per  cent,  of 
dark  green  extract,  containing  tannin,  two  tasteless  resins  and  extractive. 
Water  dissolved  16  per  cent,  of  mucilaginous  and  extractive  principles, 
and  by  distillation  with  water  \  per  cent,  of  an  amber  colored  volatile 
oil  was  obtained,  having  a  heavy  aromatic  odor  and  a  warm  camphor  - 
aceous  and  bitter  taste.    Alkaloids  and  glucosides  were  not  observed. 
Phytolacca. — Tannin  was  found  by  W.  F.  Wagner,  Ph.  G.,  in  the 
berries,  but  not  in  the  root.    The  active  constituent  was  not  isolated. 
Assay  of  Cinchona  Barks. — Clarence  H.  McCoy,  Ph.  G.,  has  de- 
termined the  amount  of  total  alkaloids  and  of  quinine  in  three  samples 
of  cinchona  bark  by  the  process  of  the  U.  S.  P.  Two  of  the  samp- 
les were  also  analyzed  by  Dr.  Squibb' s  process  (Ephemeris,  I.  105). 
The  results  were  as  follows : 
Total  Alkaloids.  Quinine. 
U.S.  P.            Dr.  S.         U.S.  P.          Dr.  S- 
Cinch,  succirubra,                     5*385             5'58              1*265  2*16 
Cinch,  officinalis  (Neilgherry)     9*79               9*82              1*93  2*24 
Cinch.  Calisaya  (quill)  5  275    1*35   
Castile  Soap. — Four  samples  of  white  Castile  soap,  examined  by 
H.  C.  Bisher  Ph.  G.,  were  free  from  animal  fats  and  salts  of  metal. 
