AmoctuSarm*}  Oleoresin  of  Male  Fern.  487 
at  1 5 6—  1 5 8 0  ;  no  other  definite  substance  could  be  obtained  from 
the  extract. 
Podophylloquercetin,  C23H16O10,  is  best  obtained  from  the  rhizome, 
after  extraction  by  light  petroleum  and  chloroform,  by  further 
extracting  with  ether,  distilling  off  the  ether,  and  treating  with  cold 
glacial  acetic  acid.  The  crude  crystals  are  purified  by  repeated 
recrystallization,  best  in  an  atmosphere  of  carbonic  anhydride.  It 
melts  at  275-2770,  is  almost  insoluble  in  water,  sparingly  soluble 
in  cold  glacial  acetic  acid,  more  soluble  in  the  hot  acid  and  in  ether, 
easily  soluble  in  strong  alcohol.  Alkaline  coppei  solution  is  easily 
reduced  when  warm,  also  ammoniacal  silver  solution.  Probably  this 
compound  is  not  identical  with  quercetin. 
ON  THE  POISONOUS  AND  VERMIFUGE  CONSTITUENT 
OF  OLEORESIN  OF  MALE  FERN.1 
By  E.  Poulsson. 
During  the  past  ten  years  several  cases  in  which  poisonous 
symptoms,  in  a  few  instances  ending  in  death,  have  been  caused  by 
oil  of  male  fern.  Poulsson  has  collected  twelve,  in  four  of  which 
death  took  place.  A  drachm  is  the  smallest  dose  which  has  given 
rise  to  symptoms  of  poisoning  ;  on  the  other  hand  five  to  seven 
drachms  have  often  been  taken  without  evil  results.  The  symp- 
toms observed  were  vomiting,  diarrhoea,  cramps  and  drowsiness, 
which  terminated  in  coma  ;  in  two  cases  there  were  somnolence  and 
muscular  contractions,  assuming  in  one  the  form  of  trismus.  In 
many  of  the  cases  which  Poulsson  has  brought  together  the 
symptoms  have  been  imperfectly  recorded,  but  it  appears  that  the 
drug  is  capable  of  giving  rise  (1)  to  irritation  of  the  stomach  and 
intestines;  (2)  to  paresis  and  irritation  of  the  central  nervous  sys- 
tem, and  that  death  may  be  caused  by  the  influence  of  the  drug  on 
the  nervous  system. 
The  active  constituents  of  the  male  fern  root  on  which  its  thera- 
peutic value  depends,  and  which  are  capable  of  giving  rise  to  poi- 
sonous symptoms,  have  not  been  hitherto  absolutely  determined  ; 
the  extract  has  been  found  to  deposit  crystals  of  filicic  acid ;  the 
1  Ueber  den  giftigen  und  bandwurmtreibenden  Bestaudtheil  des  atherischen 
Filixextracts. — Archiv  f.  Exp.  Patholog.  u.  Pharmak.,  29,  p.  7  ;  from  The 
Medical  Chronicle,  September,  1891. 
