336 
SALICIN  IN  THE  URINE. 
six  hours  it  regained  its  usual  dimensions.  Taken  inwardly, 
physostigmin  approaches  in  activity  the  most  poisonous  of  the 
cyanogen  compounds.  To  a  strong,  lively  rabbit  was  admin- 
istered a  freshly  prepared  solution  of  the  chloride  of  the  alka- 
loid, which  had  been  previously  neutralized  with  ammonia.  The 
amount  of  the  alkaloid  used  corresponded  nearly  to  that  con- 
tained in  one  bean.  Five  minutes  after  swallowing  the  poison 
the  rabbit  fell  down,  remained  almost  motionless,  and  died  in 
about  twenty-five  minutes. 
We  should  not  omit  to  mention  that  physostigmin  acts  upon 
the  eye  even  of  the  dead  body,  if  too  long  a  time  has  not  elapsed 
after  death.  We  tried  some  experiments  one  hour  after  the 
death  of  an  animal.  We  placed  two  drops  of  the  aqueous  solu- 
tion of  physostigmin  into  the  eye  of  a  rabbit  which  had  been 
killed  without  the  use  of  this  poison,  in  consequence  of  which 
the  pupil  contracted  to  J  its  size  (compared  with  the  other  eye), 
and  remained  in  this  condition.  On  the  other  hand,  we  found 
that  in  the  eye  of  an  animal  killed  by  physostigmin  no  con- 
traction took  place,  while  in  another,  poisoned  by  cyanide  of 
potassium,  a.  small  contraction  was  apparent,  but  which  soon 
disappeared. 
We  may  remark  that  for  medicinal  purposes  it  is  important 
to  make  use  of  the  alcoholic  extract  of  the  bean,  instead  of  the 
pure  alkaloid,  since  the  latter,  both  in  its  pure  state  and  in 
combination  with  acids  other  than  that  of  the  bean,  readily  un- 
dergoes   decomposition  Wittsteins   Vierteljaliressohrift  Ph. 
Bd.  xiii.  G.  j.  s. 
[The  article  at  page  365  of  this  number  was  printed  before 
we  received  Wittstein.  This  translation  is  inserted  as  giving  a 
clearer  account  of  the  chemistry  of  the  subject. — Ed.  Am.  Jour. 
Pharm.] 
SAL1CIN  IN  THE  URINE. 
Dr.  Landeren  has  found  that  when  salicin  is  administered  in 
considerable  doses  it  passes  away  in  the  urine  unchanged,  and 
can  be  easily  separated  from  the  evaporated  urine  by  means  of 
alcohol.  —Lond.  Ohem.  JVews,  April  23,  1864,  from  Archiv  der 
Pharm,,  bd.  c.  xvi,,s.  197. 
