33  8  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Amj{?y^?7h8arm' 
solutions,  and  that  both  contain  admixtures  of  different  salts  and  for- 
eign matters.  Blumberg  has  made  the  same  observation,  and  agrees 
with  Dragendorff  in  regarding  the  two  as  only  one  alkaloid,  which  is 
but  partially  precipitated  by  corrosive  sublimate,  since  its  compound 
with  the  latter  is  not  insoluble  in  water,  the  solution  being,  however, 
precipitated  by  phosphomolybdic  acid. 
Blumberg  has  also  isolated  the  crystalline  alkaloid  ergotinina  observed 
by  Tanret  in  1875.  The  oil  of  ergot,  obtained  by  extraction  with 
ether,  is  repeatedly  agitated  with  water  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid, 
and  the  acid  solution  rendered  alkaline  by  carbonate  of  sodium.  The 
precipitate  may  be  dissolved  in  ether  or  in  absolute  alcohol,  which  solu- 
tions on  being  concentrated  yield  crystals  of  ergotinina.  These  are 
colored  violet-blue  by  oil  of  vitriol,  and  by  Froehde's  reagent  at  first 
violet,  then  soon  blue,  finally  blue-green,  and  on  heating  olive-green. 
Ergotinina  soon  decomposes,  forming  a  resinous  mass,  and  when  in  solu- 
tion, injected  subcutaneously,  produced  in  frogs  effects  very  similar  to 
those  observed  from  picrosclerotina. 
Philadelphia,  June  12,  1878. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Louis  von  Cotzhausen,  Ph.G. 
The  Relation  of  Chemical  Compounds  in  Volatile  Oils. — 
Volatile  oils  consist  either  of  several  carbohydrogens  or  of  carbohy- 
drogens  and  oxygenated  substances,  among  which  there  is  a  certain 
relation  noticeable,  as  is  seen  from  the  following  list : 
Oil  of  Dryobalanops  Camphor,  C10H16,C10H18O. 
Caraway,  C10H16,C10HU,C 
Thyme,  C10H16,C10H14O. 
Dill,  C10H16fC10HMO. 
Caraway,  C10H16,C10HuO. 
Eucalyptus,  C10H16,C10Hu,C10H16O,C10HuO. 
Sassafras,  C]0H16,C10H10O2. 
G.  Bruylar.ts  has  endeavored  to  determine  the  relation  of  the  con- 
stituents of  oil  of  tansy  and  of  valerian,  with  the  following  results  : 
Oil  of  tansy  contains  about  1  per  cent,  of  a  terpene,  C10H16,  boiling 
between  160  and  i65°C,  about  26  per  cent,  of  an  alcohol,  C10H18O, 
boiling  near  205°C,  and  about  70  per  cent,  of  the  aldehyd  tanacetyl 
hydride,  boiling  at  I95°C.  and  forming  a  crystalline  compound  with 
bisulphite  of  sodium. 
