384  Gleanings  from  the  French  Journals.    { Amx,u°gu;-If7h8arm' 
of  arnotta  is  digested  at  8o°C.  with  2*5  kilos  of  80  per  cent,  alcohol 
and  150  grams  of  calcined  soda  ;  carbonic  acid  gas  is  generated,  the 
mixture  turns  brown,  and  the  coloring  principles  are  dissolved.  The 
solution  is  filtered  while  warm,  the  residue  expressed  and  again 
extracted  with  1*5  kilo  of  60  per  cent,  alcohol  ;  the  combined  filtrates 
are  mixed  with  half  their  bulk  of  water,  and  completely  precipitated 
by  a  concentrated  solution  of  soda.  The  precipitate  is  purified  by 
recrystallizing  from  60  per  cent,  alcohol  and  treatment  with  water  and 
soda  as  before,  and  afterwards  decomposed  by  hydrochloric  acid  in  the 
presence  of  diluted  alcohol. — Ber.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  May,  1878, 
p.  864. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
Drosera  rotundifolia,  Lin.,  has  been  analyzed  by  G.  Lugan.  The 
fresh  plant  was  treated  by  dietheralysis,  the  process  recommended  by 
Legrip  ("Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1876,  p.  235).  The  aqueous  liquid 
obtained  thereby  contained  glucose,  various  salts  and  a  crystallizable 
organic  acid,  which  appears  to  be  peculiar  to  this  plant,  and  was  also 
obtained  from  the  etherial  liquid  by  evaporating  it  and  treating  the 
residue  with  chloroform,  which  leaves  it  undissolved,  together  with  wax 
and  yellow  coloring  matter.  On  evaporating  the  chloroform,  a  greenish- 
brown  resin  was  left,  which  had  a  strong  and  characteristic  odor,  was 
exceedingly  acrid  and  produced  a  burning  sensation  when  applied  to 
the  skin. 
Contrary  to  the  observation  of  Reiss  and  Will,  the  author  found  the 
viscous  exudation  of  the  glandular  hairs  to  be  destitute  of  acid  reac- 
tion, and  was  unable  to  obtain  formic  acid,  which  was  stated  to  be  the 
principle  by  which  the  leaves  convert  albuminoid  matters  into  peptones. 
— Jour,  de  Phar.  et  de  Chim.,  June,  pp.  465-468. 
Thapsia  garganica,  Lin. — The  root  of  this  plant,  which  grows  in 
Northern  Africa  and  Southern  Europe,  is  frequently  employed  in  France. 
Perron  states  that  there  are  two  similar  plants  in  Africa,  called  by  the 
Arabs  bou-nefa  xkar,  or  male  thapsia,  and  bou-nefa  nza,  or  female  thapsia, 
the  former  being  the  officinal  and  stronger  one.  The  latter  is  far  less 
acrid,  has  longer,  broader,  thicker  and  less  divided  leaves  than  the  for- 
mer, and  the  leaflets  are  frequently  digitately  three-lobed. — Ibid,  p.  468. 
