ioo  Editorial  Notes  and  Comments.  {AFebJr0uaryPi™' 
The  drug,  which  is  nowadays  on  the  market  under  the  name  of  opopanax,  is 
almost  certainly  derived  from  Balsamodendron  Kafal,  Kunth,  a  plant  of  the 
natural  order  Burseraceae.  The  true  opopanax,  of  the  natural  order  Umbelli- 
ferae,  is  difficult  to  obtain,  and  is  derived,  as  is  generally  accepted,  from  Opopa- 
nax Chironium,  Koch  {Ferula  Opopanax,  I,.).  A  chemical  examination  of  un- 
doubtedly genuine  opopanax  has  recently  been  made  by  A.  Kniti.1  The  essen- 
tial oil  was  separated  from  the  bulk  by  shaking  the  alcoholic  resin  solution  with 
petroleum  ether.  By  treatment  with  bisulphite  solution,  a  brown  fat  was  iso- 
lated from  the  oil,  which,  by  sublimation  between  watch-glasses,  produced 
white,  odorless  needles,  M.  P.  135-1340,  formula  C20H]0O7.  It  has  received  the 
provisional  name  "  oponal."  The  oil,  upon  fractional  distillation,  yielded  first 
a  colorless  distillate,  with  an  odor  like  lovage,  and  afterward  a  portion  colored 
blue.    In  the  neck  of  the  retort,  crystals  of  "oponal  "  separated  out. 
The  investigations  of  Leprince2  on  the  bark  of  the  Rhamnus  Purshiance 
confirm  the  presence  of  chrysarobin,  chrysophanic  acid  and  emodin. 
Pharmacology. — As  a  result  of  a  series  of  experiments  on  the  pharma- 
cology and  therapeutics  of  Veratrum  album  and  Veratrum  viride,  H.  C.  Wood 
and  H.  C.  Wood,  Jr.,3  conclude  that  the  only  evidence  of  differences  in  action 
which  they  have  been  able  to  obtain  is  that  Veratrum  album  in  toxic  doses 
more  frequently  purges  than  does  Veratrum  viride,  and  that  some  specimens 
of  Veratrum  album  are  stronger  than  specimens  of  Veratrum  viride.  The 
authors  believe  that,  inasmuch  as  there  is  hardly  any  conceivable  difference  in 
the  action  of  therapeutic  doses  of  the  two  plants,  it  would  be  proper  for  the 
U.S. P.  to  recognize  both  species,  but  as  any  difference  between  the  two  vera- 
trums  is  in  favor  of  the  American  drug  as  less  apt  to  disturb  intestinal  diges- 
tion, the  recognition  of  the  European  drug  seems  of  doubtful  expediency. 
According  to  the  experiments  of  M.  P.  O.  Vejux-Tyrode4  it  appears  that  the 
tincture  of  the  brown  seeds  of  strophanthus  is  much  more  toxic  than  that  of  the 
green  seeds,  whilst  on  the  other  hand  the  green  seed  tincture  has  a  much  more 
marked  action  on  the  heart.  Dr.  Rusby4  believes  that  these  experiments 
prove  the  existence  of  two  distinct  principles,  a  "toxic  principle"  and  a 
"cardiant  principle,"  although  they  have  not  been  isolated.  He  thinks  that 
the  two  plants  yielding  these  seeds  are  specifically  distinct.  Should  these 
results  be  confirmed,  it  follows  that  the  green  seeds,  or  those  of  Strophanthus 
Kombk,  Oliver,  should  alone  be  specified  and  described  in  the  U.S.P. 
The  poisonous  principles  in  fungi  may  be  brought  from  a  chemical  con- 
sideration of  the  subject,  according  to  Robert,5  into  either  (1)  the  acids,  e.g., 
helvellic  acid  ;  ( 2)  alkaloids  or  alkaloid-like  substances,  as  muscarin  and  neurin> 
or  (3)  albuminoid  or  albuminoid-like  compounds,  as  the  enzymes  and  toxalbu- 
mins  of  fungi.  From  a  pharmaco-pathological  standpoint  they  may  be  divided 
(if  we  except  ergot)  into  those  (1)  acting  purely  upon  the  nerves,  as  muscarin 
and  fungous-atropin  ;  (2)  those  that  produce  local  irritation,  as  in  various 
species  of  L,actarius  and  Russula  ;  (3)  and  those  acting  primarily  upon  the 
blood,  as  the  helvellic  acid  of  Iyorchel  and  the  phallin  of  Amanita  phalloides- 
lArchiv.  d.  Pharm.,  1899,  p.  256,  through  Schimmel  &  Co.'s  Report,  October,  1899. 
2Compt.  Rend.,  1899,  T.,  129,  p.  60  ;  Pharm.  Zeit.,  1899,  p.  822. 
sAmer.  Jour.  Med.  Sci.,  1899,  p.  562  ;  Med.  Chronicle,  1899,  p.  107. 
*Amer.  Jour.  Med.  Sci.,  July,  1899  ;  Med.  Chronicle,  1899,  p.  176. 
BB.  Aertze.  Zeit.,  1899,  No.  11  ;  Pharm.  Zeit.,  1899,  p.  799. 
