626    •  Action  of  Sulphurous  Acid  and  Salts.  { 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1890. 
Digitonin  has,  therefore,  very  probably,  the  composition  C27HM013, 
and  its  hydrolysis  is  expressed  by  the  equation — 
0^0,3  +  2H20  =  C15H21Os  +  C,H„0,  +  QH1206. 
Digitonin.  Digitogenin.  Galactose.  Dextrose. 
This  would  require  a  ratio  of  14  :  1  :  1  between  the  weights  of 
digitogenin,  galactose  and  dextrose  formed  ;  that  actually  found  is 
more  nearly  1:1:  1  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  at  the 
moment  of  hydrolysis  digitogenin  is  much  more  easily  attacked 
than  galactose  and  dextrose,  and  very  readily  yields  resinous  pro- 
ducts. An  analysis  of  the  raw  material  agreed  well  with  the 
formula  Q-H^O^ ;  not  so,  however,  did  Schmiedeberg's  analysis. 
Digitogenin. — The  following  details  may  be  added  to  Schmiede- 
berg's data  regarding  this  substance.  One  part  requires  for  solu- 
tion 35  parts  of  boiling  or  100  parts  of  cold  93  per  cent,  alcohol, 
and  20  parts  of  boiling  or  30  parts  of  cold  chloroform,  and  30  parts 
of  cold  glacial  acetic  acid  ;  it  is  insoluble  in  water  and  aqueous 
alkalies.  It  seems  to  form  a  compound  containing  chloroform  of 
crystallization,  which  loses  its  chloroform  only  very  slowly  at  uo°. 
With  alcoholic  potash,  it  forms  a  crystalline  potassium  compound, 
strongly  alkaline,  and  little  soluble  in  alcohol.  It  forms  no  stable 
compounds  with  barium  hydroxide  or  phenylhydrazine,  but  is 
attacked  by  mineral  acids  and  oxidizing  agents. 
ON  THE  POISONOUS  ACTION  OF  SULPHUROUS  ACID 
AND  ITS  SALTS.1 
By  Dr.  L.  Pfeiffer. 
Divergent  opinions  have  been  expressed  as  to  the  toxic  action  of 
the  sulphites.  Some  have  found  them  well  borne  in  large  and  con- 
tinuous doses,  and  cases  have  been  recorded  in  which  from  200  to 
600  grains  have  been  given  without  evil  effects  following.  On  the 
other  hand,  full  doses  have  in  some  cases  caused  sickness,  diarrhoea 
and  general  digestive  disturbance,  and  P.  Polli  and  Faralli  noticed 
general  relaxation  of  the  muscles  and  weakness  follow  from  their 
use.  Pfeiffer  points  out  that  the  commercial  sulphite  always  con- 
tains a  considerable  portion  of  sulphates,  and  thinks  this  accounts 
to  a  certain  extent  for  the  different  effects  of  the  sulphites  which 
have  been  recorded. 
After  a  history  of  the  results  obtained  by  previous  observers,  he 
^Archiv  f.  Exper.  Path,  und  Pharm.,  xxvii  ;  reprinted  from  Med.  Chronicle, 
October,  1890. 
