284  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  { Am *junUealSarm" 
by  boiling  with  alcoholic  baryta  solution,  is  converted  into  tropine 
and  atropic  acid. 
Pseudohyoscy amine,  a  new  alkaloid  from  Duboisia  myoporoides,  was 
separated  from  chloroform  solution  by  addition  of  ether  after  first 
removing  hyoscyamine  and  hyoscine  as  perfectly  as  possible  by 
crystallization  ;  the  new  alkaloid  is  laevogyre  and  forms  small  yellow- 
ish needles  melting  at  133-1340  C,  difficultly  soluble  in  water  and 
ether,  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  chloroform ;  it  has  the  formula 
C^H^NOg ;  the  aurochloride  melts  at  1760  C,  the  picrate  at  220°  C, 
while  the  platinochloride  sinters  at  1160  and  decomposes  at  1500. 
By  boiling  with  baryta  a  base  isomeric  but  not  identical  with 
tropine  and  pseudotropine  was  obtained  (the  reddish  yellow  platino- 
chloride which  it  forms  at  210°  C.  becomes  deeper  in  color  and  at 
higher  temperature  blackens  without  melting)  along  with  tropic 
acid. — E.  Merck,  Arch,  der  Pharm.,  1893,  110-123. 
Champacol  is  the  crystallizable  camphor  separating  from  the  vola- 
tile oil  of  the  fragrant  champaca  wood  (Mic/ielza  Champaca,  L.) 
cultivated  in  tropical  India.  In  the  pure  state  it  forms  long,  felted, 
odorless  needles,  melting  at  86-88°  C;  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether; 
it  has  the  formula  C17H30O.  If  insufficiently  purified  the  crystals 
liquefy  and  the  pleasant  odor  of  the  wood  becomes  prominent.— Ibid., 
123. 
Hydrargyrum  thymolo-aceticum,  when  first  placed  upon  the  market 
had  no  definite  chemical  formula  assigned  to  it ;  recent  investigation 
shows  it  to  be  formed  from  two  molecules  mercuric  acetate  in  which 
one  acetyl  group  is  replaced  by  the  radical  thymyl  so  that  it  has 
the  following  formula  Hg(C2H30)2  +  Hg(C2H3O2)(C10H13O).— Ibid., 
123. 
Adonite>  a  crystallizable  constituent  of  Adonis  vernalis  present  to 
extent  of  four  per  cent.,  has  the  formula  C5H1205,  and  is  apparently 
a  new  pentatomic  alcohol.  It  is  insoluble  in  ether  and  petroleum 
ether,  has  a  neutral  reaction,  is  very  soluble  in  water,  crystallizes  in 
large  transparent  prisms,  and  has  at  first  a  sweet  taste  rapidly  giving 
place  to  a  rather  benumbing  sensation.  It  crystallizes  from  alcohol 
in  small  needles,  melts  at  1020  C;  does  not  reduce  Fehling's  solu- 
tion, nor  become  brown  with  alkalies,  but  yields  with  sulphuric 
acid  a  perfectly  colorless  solution,  and  heated  upon  platinum  foil, 
gives  off  the  odor  of  carmel. — Ibid.,  p.  129. 
