ANoVJember,hrm'}     Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  539 
the  alkaloids  in  scopola  are  more  constant  in  quality  and  quantity 
than  those  found  in  either  the  leaf  or  root  of  belladonna. 
In  an  investigation  of  the  various  commercial  rhubarbs  Hesse 
finds  that  Chinese  rhubarb  contains  chrysophanic  acid,  emodin* 
rhabarberon  and  rhein ;  Austrian  rhubarb  [R.  rhaponticum)  and 
English  rhubarb  (R.  palmatmn)  contain  chrysophanic  acid  and 
rhapontin ;  Rumex  nepalensis  and  R.  palustris  contain  chrysophanic 
acid  and  nepodin ;  Rumex  obtusifolia  contains  chrysophanic  acid, 
nepodin  and  lapodin. 
Tschirch  holds  that  the  emodin  of  aloes  and  frangula  is 
isomeric  and  that  they  can  be  distinguished  by  certain  color  reac- 
tions as  well  as  other  tests,  as  shown  by  Oesterle.  Tschirch  further 
holds  that  all  methylanthraquinone  derivatives  containing  one  or 
more  oxy-groups  are  purgative.  The  emodins  (being  tri-oxy  com- 
pounds) seem  to  be  most  active,  and  it  appears  that  these  oxy-deriva- 
tives  of  methylanthraquinone  will  eventually  replace  the  drugs  them- 
selves. 
The  following  alkaloids  are  present,  according  to  H.  A.  D.  Jowett, 
in  jfaborandi:  Pilocarpine,  iso-pilocarpine  (pilocarpidine  of  Petit 
and  Polonowski),  pilocarpidine  (Harnack  and  Merck).  Commercial 
jaborine  appears  to  be  a  mixture  of  these  three  alkaloids,  and  does 
not  appear  to  be  present  in  jaborandi  leaves.  According  to  Went- 
zel  the  alkaloid  in  mandragora  root  is  hyoscine  (C17H19N03).  Reeb 
finds  in  wall-flower  a  principle  resembling  digitalis  in  its  physio- 
logical action  (cheiranthin),  and  in  the  seeds  an  alkaloid  (cheirinine) 
resembling  quinine  in  its  properties.  Various  species  of  Lupines 
have  been  again  investigated,  this  time  by  J.  Callsen,  who  did  not 
succeed  in  isolating  any  other  alkaloids  than  those  already  known  from 
the  seeds  of  blue  and  perennial  lupines.  The  active  principles  of 
cusso  have  been  investigated  by  Kondaker  and  Schatz.  Kiliani 
has  continued  his  investigations  upon  the  active  principles  in  digi- 
talis. The  active  principle  in  capsicum  has  been  further  investi- 
gated by  Micko,  who  insists  that  it  is  odorless,  and  that  the  vanilla- 
like odor  ascribed  to  it  by  Mbrbitz  is  due  to  the  action  of  reagents 
employed.  An  emetic  principle  (melonemetine)  has  been  isolated 
by  Herberger  from  melon  root  and  other  Cucurbitaceas.  The  toxic 
effect  of  tobacco  smoke  is  ascribed  by  Thorns  to  a  phenol-like  body 
resembling  creosote.  A  new  oily  alkaloid  (C9H18NO)  miscible  with 
water  has  been  found  by  A.  Piccinni  in  pomegranate  bark.  J. 
