222  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  { Am  MayfiS?.™' 
over  quicklime  or  sulphuric  acid,  the  following  salts  were  made  : 
Nitrate  C8H10N4O2HNO3;  acetate  C8H10N4O2  (HC2H302)2 ;  propiofi- 
ate  C8H10N4O2(HC3H5O2)2;  citrate  CsH10N4O2  (H3C6H507)  (this  com- 
pound at  ioo°  C.  loses  no  weight,  is  soluble  in  a  mixture  of  chloro- 
form and  alcohol  and  the  alcoholic  solution  does  not  at  once  redden 
blue  litmus  paper.  A  mixture  of  caffeine  and  citric  acid  in  molec- 
ular proportion  at  ioo°  C.  loses  about  8  per  cent,  water  of  crystal- 
lization, while  it  is  soluble  in  a  mixture  of  chloroform  and  alcohol, 
the  alcoholic  solution  reacted  acid  at  once).  The  formate,  butyrate 
and  valerianate  could  not  be  obtained  containing  the  theoretical 
quantities  of  acid.  The  acid  sulphate  C8H10N4H2SO4  was  readily 
obtained  from  the  alkaloid  and  sulphuric  acid  in  alcoholic  solution  ; 
exposed  to  the  air  for  a  few  days  the  salt  takes  up  one  molecule  of 
water.  The  neutral  sulphate  could  not  be  obtained  pure. — Prof.  E. 
Schmidt  and  Dr.  R.  Gaze,  Arch,  der  Pharm.,  1893,  i-io. 
Cerbera  Odallum  Gcertn. — A  supply  of  seed  kernels  from  the  Dutch 
Indies  furnished  the  material  for  the  following  investigation  :  They 
contained  6-94  per  cent,  moisture,  2-41  per  cent,  ash,  and  by  extrac- 
tion with  ether  about  77  per  cent,  fat ;  by  expression  with  moderate 
heating  about  44  per  cent,  could  be  obtained.  The  active  constitu- 
ent, cerberin,  was  isolated  by  first  expressing  as  much  as  possible 
of  the  oil,  digesting  with  several  portions  of  80  per  cent,  alcohol, 
distilling  off  the  alcohol,  adding  water,  separating  the  fat  collecting 
upon  the  surface  and  repeatedly  agitating  the  solution  with  petro- 
leum ether.  After  standing  for  some  time,  a  black  layer  subsided 
which  was  separated  from  the  supernatant  liquid,  washed  with 
petroleum  ether,  dissolved  in  alcohol  and  filtered  through  purified 
animal  charcoal ;  by  repeated  crystallization  from  alcohol  and  wash- 
ing with  ether,  perfectly  white  crystalline  cerberin  was  obtained. 
By  this  washing  with  ether  a  substance  was  removed  melting 
at  175--1760  C.  The  yield  of  cerberin  in  the  first  lot  extracted 
was  016  per  cent.,  while  later  only  o  08  per  cent,  was  realized.  The 
kernels  had  between  the  two  operations  become  perfectly  black,  so 
that  partial  decomposition  of  the  cerberin  is  very  probable.  Cerberin 
forms  colorless,  odorless,  anhydrous  crystals,  having  a  bitter  taste,  and 
melting  at  191-1920  with  some  decomposition;  it  is  easily  soluble 
in  ethyl,  butyl  and  amyl  alcohols,  chloroform  and  glacial  acetic 
acid,  difficultly  soluble  in  ether  and  benzol,  and  almost  insoluble  in 
petroleum-ether  and  water.    The  ultimate  analysis  and  molecular 
