Am'septr*i8P84arm'}      Chemical  and  Pharmacognostical  Notes.  477 
the  odor  and  taste  of  matico-leaves,  and  melted  between  89°  and  103°. 
After  repeated  crystallizations,  it  melted  at  94°,  the  mother-liquors 
containing  a  yellow  amorphous  resin.  Matico-camphor  exhibits  a 
rotatory  motion  on  the  surface  of  water ;  it  is  not  attacked  by  aqueous 
alkalies,  is  readily  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether,  chloroform,  benzin,  and 
light  petroleum.  The  pure  substance  lacks  both  taste  and  odor.  In 
contact  with  hydrochloric  acid,  it  assumes  an  intense  violet  color, 
which  changes  to  blue  and  then  to  green,  the  compound  yielding  brown 
crystals  from  ether,  showing  green  fluorescence,  and  having  an  ethereal 
odor.  With  sulphuric  acid,  it  becomes  yellow,  then  red,  and  finally 
violet.  With  sulphuric  and  nitric  acids,  it  assumes  first  a  yellow,  then 
a  violet,  and  finally  a  blue  color.  Matico-camphor  has  the  formula 
C12H20O  ;  it  is,  perhaps  the  ethyl-derivative  of  ordinary  camphor. — Ibid. 
Mannitol  in  the  ananas. — In  the  course  of  the  analysis  of  ananas 
from  Pernambuco  and  Brazil,  L.  Lindet  ("  Bull  Soc.  Chim."  ^40],  pp. 
65-66)  isolated  crystals  of  mannitol ;  the  quantity  obtained  was  equal 
to  more  than  1  per  cent,  of  the  fresh  fruit.  The  identity  of  the  crystals 
with  mannitol  was  established  by  combustion,  crystalline  form,  solu- 
bility, and  absence  of  rotatory  and  cupric  oxide  reducing  power. 
Function  of  tannin  in  plants. — E.  Kutscher  ("  Bied.  Centr.,"  1883, 
p.  713). — Investigations  were  made  with  Vicia  faba,  Helianthus  tube- 
rosus  and  annuus,  Ricinus  sanguineus,  and  Phaseolus  multiflorus,  plants 
well  adapted  for  the  purpose,  as  they  were  found  to  be  typical  examples 
of  the  different  locations  of  tannin ;  inasmuch  as-  it  is  distributed 
throughout  the  plant  in  the  Vicia  and  Helianthus,  whilst  it  is  only 
local  and  inactive  in  the  Ricinus  and  Phaseolus  plants.  In  the  last 
two  species,  tannin  is  not  found  in  the  top  of  the  plants,  nor  in  the 
cell-walls,  nor  in  the  general  sap  during  the  period  of  vegetation ; 
moreover,  it  is  never  equally  distributed  throughout  the  tissue-com- 
plex, but  is  confined  in  separate  secluded  cells  where  it,  at  the  most, 
changes  to  a  red  coloring  matter  without  being  used  in  the  general 
development,  whilst  with  the  Vicia  and  Helianthus  tannin  is  found  in 
all  the  tissues  soon  after  germination,  but  disappears  with  the  formation 
of  organs.  Vicia  tannin  is  iron-green,  Ricinus  iron-blue.  Tannin 
apparently  takes  part  in  the  formation  of  and  primary  differentiation 
of  the  tissues,  but  does  not  take  part  in  the  further  growth  of  the  cell- 
walls:  the  most  feasible  use  attributed  to  this  substance  is  in  aiding 
respiration. 
Separation  and  Estimation  of  digitalin,  digitale'in  and  digitin. — The 
