500 
British  Pharmaceutical  Conference. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I  September,  1696. 
05 
Stage  of  Development. 
Source. 
Roots. 
Stems  and 
Stalks. 
> 
1) 
Flowers  wi 
Peduncle 
Green  Frui 
Young  plants,  4  to  6  inches  1 
high  / 
Uckfield. 
•047 
•017 
•031 
Plants,  4  feet  high,  taken  \ 
before  flowering  .  .  .  .  j 
Hitchin. 
•022 
•019 
•120 
Plants,  3  feet  to  3  feet  6) 
inches  high,  showing  in-  > 
cipient  inflorescence  .  .  j 
Uckfield. 
[    (a)  Cortex.  1 
\    (b)  Axis.  [ 
I         -032  J 
•037 
'090 
Plants,  5  feet  high,  in  full) 
(a)  Uckfield. 
(£)Ashford.  ) 
Derbyshire,  j 
•050 
•018 
•064 
•012 
•187  ■ 
•075 
•236 
•086  { 
(1)  725 
(2)  '975 
The  average  loss  of  weight  on  drying  was  :  Roots,  77  per  cent. ;  stems  and 
stalks,  86  per  cent.;  leaves,  79  per  cent.;  flowers,  80  per  cent.,  and  fruits,  68 
per  cent. 
Samples  of  fresh  green  fruit  yielded  the  following  percentages  of  alkaloidal 
hydrochlorates  : 
Year. 
1. 
2. 
3- 
•935 
•975 
1893.  •  • 
•896 
1-049 
1 '088 
725 
•975 
These  results  were  thought  to  confirm  those  of  previous  investigators.  The 
authors  suggested  that  in  a  future  Pharmacopoeia  the  green  fruit  only  shall  be 
retained.  They  also  recommended  the  introduction  of  a  fluid  extract  of  the 
fruit  from  which  the  other  preparations  may  be  made.  Reference  was  made  to 
the  fact  that  in  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  all  preparations  of  conium, 
except  the  extract  and  fluid  extract  made  from  the  fruit,  have  been  discarded. 
JAPANESE  FENNEL  AND  ITS  Oily. 
By  John  C.  Umney. 
Japanese  fennel,  as  stated  by  the  author,  was  quite  different  in  appearance 
from  the  fennel  fruits  from  Southern  Europe  and  India,  and,  upon  casual 
observation,  had  the  appearance  of  anise,  but,  upon  closer  examination,  was 
found  to  be  distinctly  different.  On  distillation  the  fruits  yielded  27  per  cent, 
of  a  pale  yellowish  oil,  having  a  specific  gravity  of  '9754  at  150  C,  and  an 
optical  rotation  of  15*5  in  a  100-mm.  tube.  It  solidified  at  —  70  C.  when  stirred, 
and  became  liquid  again  at  —  io°  C.  About  75  per  cent,  of  anethol  was  deter- 
mined to  be  present  in  the  oil,  in  addition  to  fenchone  and  terpines.  The  oil 
from  Japanese  fennel,  therefore,  appeared  to  differ  but  little  from  normal  oils 
from  other  fruits,  and  corresponded  well  with  the  requirements  of  the  U.  S. 
Pharmacopoeia. 
