ON  THE  VOLATILE  OIL  OF  PINUS  PUMILIO. 
453 
2.  The  alcoholic  tincture  of  the  flowers  is  agitated  with  ani- 
mal charcoal,  and  the  extract  treated  with  ether,  the  solution  is 
shaken  with  some  liquor  potassa  to  remove  a  resin,  and  then 
evaporated.  The  residue  is  treated  with  alcohol  of  -850,  and 
farther  as  before. 
The  author  reviews  then  an  inaugural  essay  by  Erichsen  in 
Dorpat:  De  floribus  Arnicas  Montanse,"  an  abstract  of  which  is 
published  in  Cannstatt's  Jahresbericht  for  1858.  He  exhausted 
the  alcoholic  extract  with  ether,  agitated  the  solution  Avith  solu- 
tion of  potassa,  and  evaporated  the  ether  ;  the  residue  was  treated 
with  alcohol,  and  the  solution  evaporated.  The  mass  had  an 
acrid  and  bitter  taste  like  the  flowers  ;  dilute  acetic  acid  dissolved 
the  bitter  principle,  the  acrid  residue  becomes  tasteless  when 
boiled  with  concentrated  acetic  acid ;  but  this  solution  as  well 
as  that  in  dilute  acetic  acid,  left  on  evaporation  a  radiating  crys- 
talline mass  of  very  bitter  taste,  but  destitute  of  the  properties 
of  arnica  flowers.  Erichsen  concludes  that  the  active  principle 
is  easily  altered  and  has  not  been  isolated  yet. 
Prof.  Walz,  on  repeating  the  experiments  of  Erichsen,  states 
that  the  crystalline  bodies  left  after  evaporating  the  dilute  and 
concentrated  acetic  acid  solution,  are  pure  arnicine,  mixed  with 
some  of  his  wax,  while  the  tasteless  substance  is  nothing  but  re- 
sin fat  and  chlorophyl. 
The  author  found  in  the  flowers,  arnicine,  yellow  volatile  oil, 
tw^o  resins,  one  soluble  and  one  insoluble  in  ether,  tannin,  yel- 
low coloring  matter,  fat  fusing  at  28*^  C,  and  wax.  He  is  now 
occupied  with  an  analysis  of  the  root,  when  he  will  give  more  in- 
formation about  the  properties  of  the  various  constituents.  Pro- 
fessor Friedreich  is  investigating  the  medical  properties  of  arni- 
cine.— N.  Jahrbuchf.  Pharmacie.   Wittsi.  V,  Schr.  x.  188-206. 
ON  THE  VOLATILE  OIL  OF  PINUS  PUMILIO,  Hsenke. 
By  C.  H.  MiKOLASCH. 
Mr.  Mack,  pharmaceutist  of  Reichenhall,  obtains  this  oil  in 
preparing  the  now  much  employed  so-called  pine  leaf  baths,  by 
cutting  and  bruising  the  young  branches  with  the  leaves,  and 
boiling  them  in  a  still  with  water.    The  limpid,  light  and  pale 
