140  Aristolochia  Argentina.  {AmMJa°rch,Srm- 
stituent;  56  pounds  of  the  crude  material,  when  distilled  with  water,  yield  8 
pounds  of  a  colorless  limpid  oil.  This  oil,  according  to  Lyon,  has  a  specific 
gravity  of  0-875  at  280  C,  boils  at  1550  C,  and  is  dextrorotary. 
The  sample  of  bark  obtained  by  us  yielded  the  following  results  for  tannin 
and  ash  : 
Per  Cent. 
Moisture   11 75 
Ash  in  absolutely  dry  bark   2*33 
Tannin  in  absolutely  dry  bark   14*62 
This  tannin  gave  all  the  qualitative  reactions  indicating  its  identity  with 
that  from  oak  bark,  and  on  combustion  it  yielded  the  following  percentages  : 
Per  Cent. 
Carbon   62*50 
Hydrogen   5  "28 
These  figures  are  a  little  higher  than  those  yielded  by  oak  bark  tannin,  but 
the  small  amount  of  material  at  our  disposal  prevented  our  purifying  it  to 
quite  the  extent  we  desired. 
The  bark  of  this  tree  is  used  by  the  natives  for  tanning,  the  branches  are 
used  for  torches,  and  the  resinous  wood,  besides  yielding  turpentine,  is  valuable 
for  building  purposes. 
[To  be  continued.) 
ARISTOLOCHIA  ARGENTINA.1 
By  Dr.  O.  Hesse. 
The  principles  isolated  from  different  species  of  Aristolochia  have 
received  various  names  by  investigators,  although,  no  doubt,  iden- 
tical in  some  instances.  VValz'2  gave  to  the  resinous  products  from 
Aristolochia  clematis  the  names  aristolochic  acid  (CnH1603)  and  cle- 
matitin  (C9H10O6).  The  latter  is  thought  to  be  identical  with  ser- 
pentarin  or  aristolochin,  the  poisonous  principle  obtained  by  Cheval- 
lier3  from  the  root  of  aristolochia  serpentaria.  Frickinger4  obtained 
from  the  young  underground  shoots  of  Aristolochia  clematis  a  crys- 
talline substance  which  he  named  aristolochia  yellow,  but  its  indi- 
viduality was  not  established.  Not  long  ago,  Dymock  and  Warden5 
obtained  from  Aristolochia  indica  a  resin  of  a  basic  nature.  Later, 
Hesse  published  his,  then,  incomplete  investigation  of  Aristolochia 
argentina6  showing  the  presence  of  an  ester,  probably  palmityl  phy- 
tostearin,  an  alkaloid — aristolochine — and  a  yellow  crystalline  body 
1  Abstracted  from  translation  in  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  January,  1896. 
2  Jahrb.  J.  prakt.  Pharm.,  xxiv,  65;  xxvi,  65. 
J  our  71.  Pharm.,  2,  v,  565. 
4  Repert.  fur  Pharm.,  3,  7,  1. 
5  Pharm.  Jour 3,  xxii,  245. 
6  Ibid.,  3,  xxii,  551. 
