Amjuiy'imrm"}  Gold-Sodium  Chloride.  325 
An  examination  of  the  aqueous  distillate,  collected  after  the 
alcohol  had  been  removed,  revealed  the  presence  of  a  substance 
which  gave  a  very  peculiar  odor  when  treated  with  ammonia. 
The  amount  was  very  small.  Distillation  was  now  stopped  and  the 
water  extract  examined.  It  was  first  purified  as  far  as  possible  by 
passing  through  a  filter  press,  then  treated  with  barium  hydroxide 
to  remove  the  excess  of  sulphuric  acid.  The  barium  sulphate 
carried  down  much  of  the  coloring  matter  with  it,  so  that  the  solu- 
tion, after  filtering,  was  almost  clear.  The  whole  of  the  solution 
was  evaporated  to  dryness  on  a  water-bath.  The  residue  resembled 
very  closely  that  obtained  from  the  fruit.  A  portion  of  the  residue 
was  extracted  with  chloroform.  On  evaporating  the  chloroform,  a 
light-colored  powder  remained.  This  substance  had  alkaloidal 
properties  and  resembled  very  closely  the  substance  obtained  from 
the  fruit,  although  no  crystals  could  be  obtained  on  account  of  the 
large  proportion  of  amorphous  matter.  In  attempting  to  separate 
the  amorphous  substance  from  the  crystals,  the  quantity  of  ether 
sufficient  to  remove  the  amorphous  matter  likewise  dissolved  the 
crystals.  Traces  of  crystals  were  obtained  by  treating  with  alcohol, 
which  only  partially  dissolves  the  amorphous  matter.  Distinct 
alkaloidal  reactions  were  obtained,  as  in  the  case  of  the  substance 
obtained  from  the  fruit,  even  to  the  formation  of  a  platinum  double 
salt.  Lack  of  material  made  it  necessary  to  curtail  experiments  at 
the  present  time,  but  it  is  believed  that,  with  abundance  of  the 
plant,  an  alkaloid  can  readily  be  obtained. 
University  of  Minnesota. 
NOTES  ON  GOLD-SODIUM  CHLORIDE. 
By  Lyman  F.  Kebler. 
If  any  one  will  take  the  trouble  to  obtain  quotations  from  the 
various  manufacturers  or  consult  their  price  lists,  it  will  become 
apparent  at  once  that  there  must  be  either  a  considerable  margin 
of  profit  for  some,  or  that  the  gold-sodium  chloride  varies  much 
in  composition.  The  difference  in  prices  or  information  on  the 
labels  is  such,  however,  that  the  various  makes  come  into  direct 
competition  with  one  another.  For  example,  1  ounce  of  gold- 
sodium  chloride,  .U.S.P.,  in  ^-ounce  vials,  is  quoted  by  several  makers 
