Am.  Jour.  Pbarm.)  Gleaninos  iu  Materia  Iledica.  145 
March,  1885.      j  «^ 
orless  aqueous  solution  of  aloes  does  not  become  pink  when  ammonia 
is  added,  as  is  the  case  with  solutions  of  substances  containing  chryso- 
phanic  acid,  and  in  this  way  aloes  may  be  distinguished.  To  this  rule 
senna  is  the  only  exception. 
The  probable  explanation  of  the  color  reaction  we  have  described 
is  that  chrysammic  acid  is  produced  by  the  oxidation  of  the  aloin,  a 
reaction  which  Tilden  has  shown  takes  place  when  aloes  is  treated  for 
some  time  with  nitric  acid  alone  ("  Year-Book  of  Pharmacy,"  1870, 
1872,  1875,  1877).  The  red  solution  of  chrysammic  acid  is  changed 
by  the  action  of  ammonia  to  deep  claret  chrysamide.  This  reaction 
does  not  explain  the  color  produced  with  Natal  aloes,  which,  according 
to  Tilden,  yields  no  chrysammic  acid. — Fhar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Feb. 
7,  1885,  p.  633.   
GLEANINGS  IN  MATERIA  MEDICA. 
By  the  Editor. 
Chemistry  of  Daphnetin. — H.  Stiinkel  has  shown,  in  1879,  that  this 
compound  is  most  likely  a  dioxycoumarin.  W.  Will  and  O.  Jung 
have  now  further  investigated  this  decomposition  product  of  daphnin. 
About  20  kilos  of  extract  of  mezereon  are  necessary  for  preparing 
about  30  grams  of  daphnetin,  from  which  a  number  of  derivatives 
were  prepared,  showing  that  daphnetin  has  the  same  relation  to  pyro- 
gallic  acid  as  coumarin  has  to  phenol,  umbelliferon  to  resorcin,  and 
most  likely  sesculetin  to  phloroglucin. — Berichte  D.  Chem.  Ges.,  1884, 
p.  1081-1091. 
Buxus  sempervwens,  Lin. — G.  A.  Barbaglia  has  separated  from  the 
leaves  and  twigs  of  the  box  a  fourth  alkaloid,  which  he  names  para- 
huxinidine.  It  crystallizes  in  thin  colorless  prisms,  is  insoluble  in 
water,  soluble  in  ether,  freely  soluble  in  alcohol,  colors  turmeric  paper 
deep  red,  and  gives  with  an  alcoholic  solution  of  oxalic  acid  a  heavy  white 
precipitate  consisting  of  minute  colorless  rhombic  plates. — Ber.  d.  Chem. 
Ges.,  1884,  2655. 
Chaulmoogra  Seed. — Dr.  Jos.  Moeller  has  examined  the  seeds  of 
three  species  of  Bixacese,  with  the  following  results : 
1.  Gynocardia  odorata,  R.  Brown.  The  seeds  are  about  3  Cm.  long 
and  1*5  Cm.  in  their  greatest  breadth,  elongated  ovate,  somewhat  flat- 
tened and  irregularly  angular ;  the  hilum  is  at  the  pointed  end.  The 
surface  is  dull  yellowish  gray,  and  somewhat  scurfy  to  the  touch  from 
an  adhering  thin  layer  of  pulp.    The  seeds  weigh  about  3  Gm.,  of 
10 
