Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Aug.,  1890. 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica. 
395 
is  bitter,  a  burning  sensation  being  left  on  the  tongue.  Delphinoi- 
dine  is  amorphous,  melts  at  15 2°  C,  has  a  bitter,  scarcely  acrid 
taste,  is  soluble  in  ether,  and  yields  amorphous  salts,  which  are 
soluble  in  water.  The  mixture  of  alkaloids  insoluble  in  ether,  which 
has  been  known  as  staphisagrine,  was  found  to  consist  of  at 
least  four  alkaloids,  all  of  which  are  amorphous  and  have  a  bitter 
taste.  The  physiological  action  of  the  different  alkaloids  was  deter- 
mined by  Prof.  Kobert ;  they  do  not  enlarge  the  pupil,  but  other- 
wise resemble  aconitine  in  their  action,  though  decidedly  weaker  than 
the  latter  alkaloid,  and  differing  more  or  less  among  themselves. 
The  closest  relation  to  aconite  is  shown  by  delphinine,  but  the  lethal 
dose  for  cats  and  dogs  is  1-5  and  0-7  mgm.  respectively  for  the  two 
crystalline  delphinium  alkaloids.  Delphinoidine  has  a  more  decided 
narcotic  action,  the  lethal  dose  being  5  mgm. 
Japanese  aconite,  called  kusa-uzu. — These  tubers,  the  botanical 
origin  of  which  has  not  been  satisfactorily  established,  was  examined 
by  Arthur  Lubbe  (Inaugural-Dissertation,  Dorpat,  1890).  The  crys- 
tallized alkaloid,  purified  by  repeated  recrystallization,  was  found  to 
be  free  from  bitter  taste,  to  melt  at  about  1840  C,  and  to  not  give  any 
characteristic  color  reaction.  It  is  identical  with  aconitine,  and  has 
the  formula  C33HMN012.  The  hydro-bromide  and  chloride  yield 
again  the  same  base  unaltered.  Physiological  experiments  made 
with  this  alkaloid  also  showed  its  identity  with  that  obtained  from 
Ac.  Napellus.  It  was  observed  that  it  passes,  to  some  extent,  into 
the  saliva  unaltered.  The  presence  of  pseudaconitine  could  not  be 
established ;  but,  besides  the  crystalline  aconitine,  at  least  two 
amorphous  bases,  having  a  bitter  taste,  were  recognized. 
Japanese  aconite,  called  Shirakawa-Bushi. — Dr.  O.  Lezius  exam- 
ined these  tubers  (Inaugural-Dissertation,  Dorpat,  1 89o),which  agreed 
in  appearance  and  structure  with  the  drug  described  by  Langgaard 
(see  Proceedings  Amer.  Phar.  Assoc.,  1 88 1 ,  p.  1 79)  under  the  name  of 
Shirakawa-uzu.  In  Japan,  the  parent  tubers  of  aconite  are  usually 
distinguished  as  uzuf  from  the  secondary  tubers  which  are  desig- 
nated bushi.  The  tubers  examined  are,  therefore,  most  likely  mainly 
these  latter  tubers,  presumably  of  Aconitum  cJiinense.  Besides  two 
amorphous  bases,  which  were  not  further  examined,  o-02  per  cent, 
of  crystallized  alkaloid  was  isolated  in  the  pure  state  and  chiefly 
used  for  physiological  investigations,  which  were  identical  in  their 
