496  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.    { At'octoberS^m' 
Professor  Stevens  also  described  a  simple  apparatus  for  the  esti- 
mation of  both  the  alcohol  and  camphor  in  spirit  of  camphor,  which 
was  devised  by  James  Seymour. 
A  Pharmacological  Study  of  Cannabis  Americana. 
By  E.  M.  Houghton  and  H.  C.  Hamilton. 
The  authors  find  that  Houghton's  method  for  determining  the 
physiological  activity  of  Cannabis  sativa  by  internal  administration 
to  especially  selected  dogs  is  reliable  when  the  standard  dose,  -OIO 
per  kilo  body  weight,  is  tested  in  comparison  with  the  same 
quantity  of  a  standard  preparation  of  known  strength.  Further- 
more, Cannabis  sativa,  when  grown  in  various  localities  of  the 
United  States  and  Mexico,  is  found  to  be  fully  as  active  as  the  best 
imported  Indian  grown  Cannabis  sativa. 
On  Marrubiin. 
By  H.  M.  Gordin. 
In  a  preliminary  report  the  author  states  that  marrubiin  has  the 
formula  C21H2804;  it  melts  at  154-5-15 5-5°  ;  it  is  very  easily  soluble 
in  acetone,  chloroform,  pyridine,  warm  phenol  and  hot  alcohol; 
difficultly  soluble  in  ether,  benzene  and  cold  alcohol.  It  requires 
for  solution  about  60  parts  of  cold  alcohol  and  about  20,000  parts 
of  cold  water.  It  is  dextrorotatory.  It  is  not  affected  by  cold 
aqueous  or  alcoholic  potassium  hydroxide.  When  boiled  with 
alcoholic  potassium  hydroxide  for  a  short  time,  marrubiin  is  hydro- 
lyzed,  taking  up  a  molecule  of  water  and  becoming  converted  into  an 
acid  which  he  has  named  marrubic  acid.  Marrubic  acid  has  the 
formula  C21H30O5;  it  melts  at  173-1740  C,  is  dextrorotatory  and 
forms  easily  soluble  salts,  none  of  which  could  be  obtained  in  crys- 
talline form.  While  marrubiin  does  not  reduce  Fehling's  solution 
or  ammoniacal  silver  nitrate,  marrubic  acid  reduces  them  both  very 
readily.  The  acid  is  monobasic  and  forms  esters  of  which  the  methyl 
and  ethyl  compounds  crystallize  easily. 
Oil  of  Hamamelis  Virginiana. 
By  Wilbur  L.  Scoville. 
Two  samples  of  oil,  obtained  from  different  lots  of  the  grease 
or  crude  distillate,  were  examined  and  showed  the  following  char- 
acteristics: Specific  gravity,  at  250  C,  0-8984  and  0-8985  ;  refractive 
