Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Jan.,  1890. 
Chemical  Notes. 
13 
other  alkaloids.  From  the  raw  alkaloid  of  Merck  he  isolated  three 
further  alkaloids,  a-  and  /5-homochelidonine  and  protopine.  The  latter 
alkaloid  has  also  been  found  in  Sanguinaria  canadensis  (besides  a 
number  of  others),  Stylophorum  and  Eschscholtzia  californica  (pre- 
viously taken  for  morphine  in  this  plant).  The  chelidonium  al- 
kaloids resemble  morphine  in  physiological  action.  The  stylo- 
phorine,  from  the  root  of  Stylophorum  diphyllum,  is  identical  with 
chelidonine. 
Further,  the  above  author  reported  some  investigations  on  the 
mydriatic  alkaloids.  The  length  of  keeping  belladonna  root  has  no 
effect  on  the  alkaloid  present,  this  being  principally  hyoscyamine.  The 
time  of  collecting,  however,  has  an  influence,  the  first  year's  root 
containing  hyoscyamine  and  atropine. 
Scopolia  atropo'ides  and  Sc.  japonica  contain  hyoscyamine  and  hyos- 
cine ;  the  latter  has  been  obtained  in  a  crystalline  form  by  C.  J.  Ben- 
der. Traces  of  a  mydriatic  alkaloid  have  been  noticed  in  Solanum 
tuberosum,  S.  nigrum  and  Lycium  barbarum. 
Oil  of  Andropogon  Nardus  or  citronella  oil. — T.  D.  Dodge,  Am. 
Chem.  Jour.,  1889,  p.  456.  According  to  the  preliminary  notice  the 
author  obtains  somewhat  different  results  from  Kremers  (Proc.  Am. 
Pharm.  Assoc.,  1887,  p.  562).  The  aldehyde,  isolated  from  the  oil 
by  means  of  a  concentrated  solution  of  sodium  bisulphite,  according  to 
Kremers  is  C7HuO  while  Dodge  obtains  results  corresponding  to 
C10HI8O  and  names  the  compound  citronellic  aldehyde.  By  the 
action  of  P2Os,  an  oily  product,  probably  a  terpene,  was  obtained.  By 
heating  the  dibromide  of  the  aldehyde  the  distillate  contained  a  small 
quantity  of  oil  having  the  odor  ofcymene,  C10H14,  thus  confirming  the 
statement  of  C.  P.  A.  Wright  (Jour.  Chem  Soc,  1875,  p.  1).  Oxida- 
tion with  potassium  permanganate  yielded  a  mixture  of  fatty  acids 
smelling  strongly  of  ordinary  valerianic  acid.  A  portion  of  the  oil 
boiling  at  77°  C.  is  very  likely  a  terpene.  The  portion  boiling  at 
222°  C.  is  probably  citronellyl  alcohol,  C10H20O,  the  same  as  obtained 
by  the  reduction  of  citronellic  aldehyde,  the  acetyl  derivatives  of  both 
having  the  same  characteristic  odor.  The  oil  is,  according  to  this 
author,  similar  in  composition  to  oil  of  tansy,  examined  by  Bruylants 
(Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1878,  p.  254),  who  found  an  aldehyde,  C10H1GO, 
the  corresponding  alcohol,  C10H18O,  and  a  terpene. 
Dextrorotary  honey. — C.  Amthor  and  J.  Stern  (Zeitschr.f.  angew. 
Chem.,  1889,  p.  575),  examined|two~specimens  of  Alsatian  honey,  one 
