Am'AZT,\m*rm-}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  279 
acid  (obtained  from  unripe  apples,  mountain  ash  berries,  etc.).  Mayer, 
however,  found  it  different,  and  this  was  confirmed  by  Schmidt. 
However,  the  two  authors  disagreed  on  a  very  important  point,. 
Mayer  finding  the  Crassulaceae  acid  polarized  to  the  right  (the  ordi- 
nary  acid  is  laevogyre),  while  Schmidt  found  it  rotated  to  the  left. 
Lastly,  Aubert  found  it  identical  with  the  ordinary  acid. 
J.  H.  Aherson  {Bet.  d.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  1898,  1432)  has  taken 
up  the  problem,  and  finds  the  Crassulaceae  acid  is  different  from  the 
ordinary  acid,  and  is  strikingly  analogous  to  d-lactic acid,  being  dex- 
trogyre,  but  forming  a  laevogyre  anhydride  in  concentrated  solution, 
a  lactid,  on  heating,  and  salts  that  are  laevogyre. 
He,  therefore,  concludes  it  is  a  stereoisomere  of  the  ordinary  acid, 
the  relationship  between  the  two  being  analogous  to  that  existing 
between  d-  and  e-tartaric  acids.  He  notes,  however,  that  Bremer 
has  made  a  dextrogyre  malic  acid  by  reduction  of  d-tartaric  acid, 
and  states  that  this  is  not  identical  with  the  acid  from  the  Crassu- 
laceae. 
H  V.  A. 
CONSTITUENTS  OF  STROPHANTHUS. 
The  work  of  the  past  year  has  increased  our  knowledge  of  stro- 
phantus, two  contributions  being  particularly  noteworthy. 
H.  Thorns  {Ber.  d.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  1898,  271)  reports  that  the 
drug  contains,  besides  strophanthin,  choline  and  trigonelline — a  base 
found  in  fenugreek,  having  the  formula 
C5H4  N  GH3 
CO— O 
F.  Feist  (Ber.d.  D.  Chem.  Ges.,  1898,  535)  investigated  strophan- 
thin and  finds  it  nitrogen-free  and  without  reducing  action  on  Feh- 
ling's  solution.  It  has  the  formula  C32H48Ol6,  and  hydrolyses  to  two 
forms  of  sugar  and  to  strophanthidin,  C26H3807i  y2  H20,  which  oxidizes 
to  benzoic  acid  (from  Scliwdz.  Woche?ischrift  fur  Chem.  und  Pharm.t 
1898,323), 
H.  V.  A. 
VOLATILE  OIL  FROM  HOPS. 
This  oil,  prepared  by  distillation  of  hops  with  steam,  has  been 
studied  by  A.  C.  Chapman  \Journ.  Fed.  Inst.  Brewing,  1898,  224). 
