xii 
Notes  and  News. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharra. 
X      March,  1899. 
M.  P.  1610,  and  is  with  difficulty  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  methyl  alcohol 
and  benzol,  while  soluble  in  dilute  alcohol  and  chloroform,  and  almost  insoluble 
in  water.  Another  alkaloid  Tulocurarin,  which  is  obtained  from  the  mercury 
compound  of  curine  by  means  of  carbon  disulphid  is  an  amorphous,  reddish- 
yellow  mass  of  great  toxic  properties,  ooi  gramme,  killing  a  dog  weighing  i 
kilogramme.    The  iodine  compound  has  the  formula  C19H22N04  .  I. 
Another  curare  {Calebassencurare),  produced  in  Venezuela  from  Strychnos 
toxifera  Benth  contains  curarin,  which  is  extracted  by  means  of  water,  precipi- 
tation with  platiuic  chloride  and  taking  up  with  ether  after  decomposing  the  plati- 
num compound.  The  toxic  properties  are  0*34  milligramme,  killing  a  dog 
weighing  1  kilogramme.    The  iodine  compound  has  the  formula  C19H25N30.  I. 
Another  curare  yielded  by  the  bark  of  Strychnos  castelncea,  Wedd.,  yielded 
protocarin  occurring  in  colorless  crystals  insoluble  in  water,  and  sparingly 
soluble  in  ether,  chloroform  and  alcohol.  Another  alkaloid  protocuridine  is 
also  yielded  by  this  curare,  which  is  exceedingly  toxic  in  its  properties. 
An  examination  of  a  number  of  barks  of  the  genus  Strychnos  indicated  the 
presence  of  the  curarine  as  being  in  the  cork,  whereas  curine  is  found  in  the 
remaining  tissues.  This  still  requires  further  examination. — Apoth.  Zeit.y 
1898,  p.  293. 
Senecio  Aureus  as  a  Hemostatic. — Gundrum  {Therap.  Gaz.,  1898,  p. 
655)  finds  the  fluid  extract  of  Senecio  aureus  the  most  valuable  of  all  remedies 
in  all  forms  of  parenchymatous  hemorrhage.  It  is  given  in  doses  of  1  to  2 
fluidrachms,  and  may  be  prescribed  with  confidence  in  all  forms  of  internal 
bleeding. 
Yeeeow  Coloring  of  Eucalyptus  Leaves. — From  an  examination  of  the 
leaves  of  Eucalyptus  makrorhyncha,  of  New  South  Wales,  H.  G.  Smith  {Jour. 
Chem.  Soc,  1898,  p.  697)  obtained  10  per  cent,  of  a  yellow  coloring  matter 
which  he  called  Myrticolorin.  It  is  a  glucoside  and  fills  a  gap  between  osyritrin 
obtained  by  Perkin  from  the  leaves  of  Colpoon  compression  and  Violaquercetin 
obtained  by  Mandelin  in  Viola  tricolor  variensis. — Chem.  Zeit.,  1898,  247. 
Adulterant  of  Sarsaparilla. — A  product  from  the  River  Amazon  is  de- 
scribed by  Hartwick  {Pharm.  Zeit.,  1898,684)  as  resembling  in  external  appear- 
ance and  in  structure  genuine  sarsaparilla.  It  contains  neither  calcium  oxalate 
crystals  nor  starch,  and  in  the  place  of  the  latter  sugar  is  found.  It  is  supposed 
to  be  the  product  of  a  plant  of  the  N.O.  Iviliacese  . 
New  Strychnin  Compounds. — Tapel  has  obtained  a  Desoxyst?ychnin  by  the 
action  of  boiling  HI  and  phosphorus  and  strychnin.  The  formula  is  C21H22 
N20,  and  it  gives  the  specific  action  of  strychnin.  Upon  treating  desoxystrych- 
niu  with  sodium  in  boiling  amyl  alcohol  a  base  is  obtained  C21H22N2  called 
strychnoliu,  which  does  not  act  like  strychnin.  These  results  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  peculiar  action  of  strychnin  is  due  to  a  piperidin-like  atom 
group,  and  therefore  the  author  experimented  to  reduce  this  group  without  de- 
stroying the  molecule.  By  the  electrolytic  reduction  of  strychnin  he  obtained 
two  compounds,  viz.,  strychnidin  (C21H2tN20)  and  tetra-hydro-strychnin 
(C21HMN202).  The  physiological  action  of  these  substances  showed  that  the 
peculiar  action  of  strychnin  is  not  due  alone  to  the  molecule  of  the  piperidin- 
like  group,  but  also  in  part  to  the  oxygen-containing  group. — Chem.  Zeit.y 
1898,  p.  246;  from  Lied.  Ann.  Chem.,  1898,  p.  285. 
