42  Assaying  of  A  Ikaloidal  Drugs.        { Amj^89Tm" 
and  theobromine.  The  author,  M.  Rummo,  has  also  studied  the 
physiological  action  of  these  three  compounds  and  finds  that  they 
each  exercise  a  special  action  on  the  heart. — Sem.  med.;  Rep.  de 
Pharm.,  November,  1893,  P-  495- 
A  ferment  present  in  fungi. — Em.  Bourquelot  examined  a  large 
number  of  species  of  fungus,  which  he  enumerates,  for  the  purpose 
of  solving  the  question  as  to  how  these  growths,  especially  such  as 
are  parasites  or  saprophytes,  assimilate  and  utilize  the  substances 
which  enter  into  the  composition  of  the  organism  upon  which  they 
exist.  The  author  found  a  ferment,  analogous  to  emulsin,  present 
almost  exclusively  in  such  fungi  as  are  parasite  upon  trees  or  grow 
upon  old  wood. — Jour,  de  Pharm.  et  de  Chim.,  November,  1893, 
P.  335- 
Test  for  sesame  oil  in  butter. — A.  Jorissen  calls  attention  to  the 
fact  that  butter  which  is  colored  with  curcumin,  but  contains  no 
foreign  fats,  also  responds  to  Baudoin's  test,  which  has  been  applied 
for  the  detection  of  sesame  oil,  that  is  a  violet  coloration  with  hydro- 
chloric acid  in  presence  of  sugar ;  but  as  it  also  shows  this  colora- 
tion with  hydrochloric  acid  alone,  the  filtered  fatty  body  should 
first  be  subjected  to  this  test,  before  applying  Baudoin's  test. — Jour, 
de  Pharm.  d'Anvers,  September,  1893,  P-  321- 
ASSAY  OF  ALKALOID AL  DRUGS.1  _ 
By  C.  C.  Keller. 
Alkaloidal  assaying  has  received  a  valuable  contribution  in  the  work 
of  C.  C.  Keller,  which  appeared  in  a  publication  commemorating  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the  Swiss  Apothecaries 
Association.  Nux  Vomica. — 15  gm.  of  the  dried  and  finely  powdered 
seeds  are  placed  in  a  small  extraction  tube  (12  cm.  long,  25  mm. 
wide,  terminating  in  a  delivery  tube  7  mm.  wide  and  5-6  cm.  long,  the 
end  of  which  is  ground  obliquely ;  the  upper  end  of  the  extraction 
tube  is  ground  so  that  it  can  be  covered  with  a  small  glass  plate), 
uniformly  packed  and  percolated  with  ether  (this  is  facilitated  by 
connecting  the  apparatus  with  an  air-pump  until  the  ether  reaches 
the  small  plug  of  cotton)  allowing  the  percolate  to  drop  into  a  vial 
1  Translated  and  abstracted  for  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  by  F. 
X.  Moerck,  Ph.G. 
