352 
Methysticin. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pliarrn. 
L        July,  1890. 
Australian  tiger-snake. — Fatal  dose  in  dog,  0-00485  gram  per  kilo, 
of  body  weight. 
Cobra. — Fatal  dose  in  dog,  o  000079  gram  per  kilo,  of  body  weight 
(Vincent  Richards). 
Abrus  poison — 
Globulin. — Fatal  dose,  0  01  gram  per  kilo,  of  body  weight. 
Alburnose. — Fatal  dose,  0  06  gram  per  kilo,  of  body  weight. 
Peptic  albumoses. — Fatal  dose  in  dog,  any  dose  over  0-3  gram  per 
kilo,  of  body  weight  (Pollitzer). 
METHYSTICIN.1 
By  C.  Pomeranz. 
This  compound  exists  in  the  root  of  Macropiper  methysticum,. 
from  which  it  may  be  best  prepared  by  exhaustion  with  boiling  80 
per  cent,  alcohol ;  the  solution  is  concentrated  and  allowed  to  remain 
in  a  cool  place  for  some  days,  when  a  crystalline  deposit  separates, 
and  this  on  recrystallization  from  boiling  alcohol  furnishes  pure 
methysticin  in  the  form  of  inodorous,  tasteless,  prismatic  needles 
melting  at  1  37°.  It  has  the  formula  C15Hu05,  is  insoluble  in  cold 
water,  only  slightly  soluble  in  hot  water,  light  petroleum  and  ether,, 
but  is  readily  dissolved  by  boiling  alcohol,  and  cannot  be  distilled 
unchanged.  On  treatment  with  potash  or  soda,  the  compound  is 
dissolved  with  formation  of  the  potassium  or  sodium  salt,  respec- 
tively of  an  acid  which  the  author  has  named  methysticinic  acid. 
The  free  acid,  CuH12Os,  crystallizes  in  yellow,  prismatic  needles 
resembling  piperic  acid,  is  sparingly  soluble  in  ordinary  solvents, 
dissolves  readily  in  solutions  of  the  alkalies,  melts  at  1800  with 
evolution  of  carbonic  anhydride,  and  is  colored  red  by  a  solution  of 
ferric  chloride.  On  oxidation  with  a  solution  of  potassium  perman- 
ganate, it  is  converted  into  a  compound  identical  with  Fittig  and 
Remsen's  piperonylic  acid,  CH2  02C6H3COOH[02  :  COOH  =  1  : 
2  :  4],  which  melts  at  2270,  and  gives  a  characteristic  calcium  salt. 
Methysticol  is  obtained  on  boiling  methysticinic  acid  with  alkalies 
or  dilute  acids.  It  melts  at  94°,  is  insoluble  in  alkalies,  but  is  readily* 
dissolved  by  alcohol  or  ether,  crystallizes  in  flat  prisms,  forms  a 
compound  with  phenylhydrazine,  which  melts  at  1430,  and  has  the 
formula  C13H1203. 
1  Monatsh.,  x,  783-793  ;  reprinted  from  Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  March,  257. 
