BARK  OF  ATHEROSPERMA  MOSCHATUM,  MONIMIACE^.  165 
The  first  gives  off  hyponitric  acid,  when  acted  on  by  concen- 
trated nitric  acid  ;  the  second  calcined  with  a  soluble  salt  of  lead, 
gives  globules  which  crystallize  in  regular  polyhedrons;  and  the 
third  gives  off  carbonic  acid  when  treated  with  a  strong  acid. 
It  may  also  be  adulterated  with  chloride  of  sodium,  sulphate 
of  lime,  carbonate  of  magnesia,  and  oxide  of  zinc  ;  these  can  be 
recognized  by  their  usual  tests. — Lond.  Pharm.  Jour.,  Deo.  1861, 
from  Repertoire  de  Ohimie. 
ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BARK  OF  ATHEROSPERMA  MOSCHATUM, 
MONIMIACEiE. 
By  N.  J.  Zeyer. 
The  author  obtained  this  Australian  drug  from  Dr.  F.  Muller, 
of  Melbourne,  and  analysed  it  under  the  supervision  of  Professor 
Wittstein.  Dr.  0.  Berg  has  published  two  years  ago  the  follow- 
ing description  in  Archiv  der  Pharm.  xcix.  151.  It  occurs  in 
hard,  heavy  bent  or  quilled  pieces,  one  and  a  half  to  three  lines 
in  thickness,  and  of  different  length  and  breadth.  Externally 
it  is  of  a  dirty  greyish  brown,  partly  spotted  with  whitish  lichens 
and  with  predominating  serpentine  longitudinal  ridges,  the  central 
line  of  which  is  split.  The  fracture  is  uneven  granular  pale 
brown  ;  the  inner  surface  appears  to  the  naked  eye  even,  darker 
brown,  finely  striate.  Berg  describes  the  odor  and  taste  strongly 
nutmeg-like,  the  author  finds  that  both  remind  also  somewhat  of 
sassafras;  the  specific  name mosehatum  must  certainly  not  be  in- 
terpreted as  resembling  musk. 
One-eighth  of  a  pound  was  successively  treated  with  ether, 
alcohol,  water  and  acid,  the  remaining  three  pounds  were  then 
distilled  with  water  and  the  decoction  employed  for  the  closer 
examination  of  the  more  important  constituents. 
Ether  took  up  tannin,  which  precipitated  sesquichoride  of  iron 
with  a  brownish  green  color,  resin,  wax,  fat  and  volatile  oil. 
Alcohol  now  dissolved  principally  tannin,  resin  and  an  alkaloid. 
In  the  cold  aqueous  infusion,  albumen  was  found,  the  decoction 
contained  the  above  tannin  and  sugar,  and  the  infusion  with  di- 
lute hydrochloric  acid  showed  the  presence  of  oxalic  acid.  From 
the  distillate  with  water,  but  a  minute  quantity  of  volatile  oil 
could  be  separated,  and  traces  of  butyric  acid  were  detected. 
