354 
Gleanings  in  3Iateria  Medica. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t       July, 1885. 
rather  large  cells,  and  lining  this  is  a  thin  colorless  structure  similar 
to  it,  but  composed  of  smaller  cells. 
The  perisperm  is  made  up  of  angular  parenchyma  containing  starch 
and  oil,  the  oil  cells  colored  red-brown  by  HgSO^;  thin  sections  kept 
in  glycerin  for  a  few  weeks,  form  thin  plates  of  crj^stals  in  the  peri- 
sperm of  cubebs,  but  not  in  false  cubebs.  —  Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans. y 
Feb.  14,  1885,  p.  653. 
Asarum  europceum.  B  Rizza  and  A.  Butlerow  give  to  asarone  the 
formula  C,2His03  and  state  that  it  melts  at  59°  C,  boils  at  296° 
has  the  spec.  grav.  1*165  at  18°  C,  is  inodorous,  has  a  faintly  pungent 
taste,  is  somewhat  soluble  in  boiling  water  and  crystallizes  on  cooling 
in  delicate  needles  and  scales.  Graeger's  asarit  is  merel}>  asarone 
crystallized  in  fine  needles.— ^tv-.  B.  Ch.  Ges.,  1884,  p.  1159. 
Poleck  communicates  (ibid.  p.  1415)  a  few  of  the  results  thus  far  • 
obtained  by  Staats  with  the  same  substance.  Asarone  is  very  difficult 
to  purify,  is  phosphorescent,  melts  at  61  °C.,  has  most  likely  the  com- 
position Cj,HioO^„  viehls  with  nitric  acid  oxalic  acid  and  a  neutral 
crystalline  compound,  and  in  addition  to  these,  with  potassium  per- 
manganate, carbonic,  formic  and  acetic  acids  and  a  non-volatile  crystal- 
line acid. 
Wood  oil  from  Elieococca  cordata,  nat.  ord.  Euphorbiacese,  has  a 
decided  brown  color,  and  a  disagreeable  odor,  is  rather  more  fluid  than 
castor  oil,  and  on  exposure  dries  rapidly.  According  to  R.  H.  Davies, 
its  spec.  grav.  at  60°F.  is  -94015;  it  remains  liquid  at  — 13*3°C. 
(8°F.),  becomes  black  with  sulphuric  acid,  solidifies  and  becomes 
orange-yellow  witli  nitric  acid,  and  yields  with  nitrous  acid  a  dark 
semi-solid  mass.  100  grams  of  the  oil  require  0*39  gram  caustic 
potash  for  neutralization,  and  21*1  grams  for  complete  saponification. 
The  mixture  of  fatty  acids  weighs  94*1  per  cent,  of  the  oil,  melts  at 
39°C.,  and  its  solution  in  alcohol  readily  yields  crystals. — Phar.  Jour, 
and  Trans.,  Feb.  7,  1885,  p.  636. 
E.  M.  Holmes  states  that  this  dark-colored  oil  is  probably  made  by 
boiling  the  kernels  previous  to  expression,  the  cold-drawn  oil  being 
colorless,  inodorous  and  nearly  tasteless.  The  latter,  according  to 
Cloez  Compt.  Rend.,  1875,  vol.  81,  p.  469),  has  the  spec.  grav. 
0*9362,  congeals  at  — 18°C.  to  a  transj^arent  mass,  solidifies  rapidly 
when  exposed  to  light  in  a  closed  vessel,  and  is  the  most  drying  oil 
known.  It  is  used  in  skin  diseases,  for  ulcerated  wounds  and  carbun- 
cles, for  varnishing  furniture,  all  kinds  of  wood  work,  umbrellas, 
