452  Recent  Contributions  to  Pharmacy.  {^SS™' 
cies  with  very  similar  leaves  and  two  which  had  very  similar  pods. 
These  are  S.  pilulifera,  Benth.;  S.  mollis,  Benth.;  and.  S.  Matthewsii, 
Benth. 
S.  pilulifera  differs  in  having  only  two  pairs  of  opposite  leaflets,  a 
very  short,  inflexed  style  and  a  stalked  ovary. 
S.  mollis  differs  in  its  very  hairy  leaflets  and  glabrous  ovary,  as 
figured  in  Ann.  Sc.  Nat.  (2),  20,  t.  4. 
S.  Matthewsii  differs  in  its  semi-lunate  pod,  and  in  the  pedicel  of 
the  fruit  being  only  two  to  three  lines  long  and  the  ovary  containing 
only  two  to  three  ovules. 
The  false  Maranham  jaborandi,  therefore,  probably  belongs  to  an 
undescribed  species,  characterized  by  its  leaves  having  four  pairs  of 
leaflets,  with  a  terminal  one ;  the  leaflets  having  strongly  reticulated 
venation,  an  emarginate  apex,  and  being  alternately  arranged  on  the 
rachis ;  by  the  hairy  ovule  containing  ten  ovules,  the  slender  style 
as  long  as  the  ovary,  the  capitate  stigma,  and  the  short,  inflated 
pod,  about  1  cm.  long,  sessile  on  a  slender  pedicel,  1  y2  cm.  long. 
Until  further  specimens  are  procurable,  from  which  it  might  be 
determined  if  only  one  petal  and  five  stamens  are  present,  the  plant 
might  be  provisionally  named  Swartzia  decipiens. 
RECENT  CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  PHARMACY.^ 
A  NEW  REAGENT  FOR  ALKALOIDS. 
Sodium  vanadate  has  been  suggested  by  Jaworowski  (Phar. 
Zeit.  fur  Russland,  35,  326)  as  a  reagent  for  alkaloids  in  acetic  acid 
solution.  The  addition  of  a  salt  of  copper  to  the  reagent  increases 
its  delicacy.  0  3  gramme  each  of  sodium  vanadate  and  copper  sul- 
phate are  dissolved  separately  in  10  c.c.  of  water,  and,  after  cooling, 
the  two  solutions  are  mixed.  Acetic  acid  is  then  dropped  in  until 
the  precipitate  of  copper  vanadate  is  dissolved ;  usually  not  more 
than  7  or  8  drops  of  the  acid  are  necessary.  The  slightly  cloudy 
solution  is  filtered,  and  then  it  is  ready  for  use,  which  is  as  follows : 
the  alkaloid,  if  existing  as  a  salt,  is  dissolved  in  4  or  5  c.c.  of  water, 
or,  if  free,  a  little  acetic  acid  is  used,  and  heat  if  necessary.  After 
cooling,  one  drop  of  the  reagent  is  added,  and  if  no  precipitate 
forms  after  fifteen  minutes,  the  solution  is  divided  into  two  portions ; 
to  one,  another  drop  of  the  reagent  is  added ;  the  other  portion  is 
