Ii6         Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  {AFebrXryTi898m' 
The  spindle  tree  is  easily  propagated  either  fiom  seed  or  from 
cuttings.  It  seems  to  prefer  a  chalky  soil  and  a  mild  climate,  and 
consequently  flourishes  best  in  the  southern  counties  of  England. 
It  is  said  to  be  rare  in  Wales ;  in  Scotland  it  is  almost  unknown.  A 
variety  of  the  common  spindle  tree,  bearing  berries  with  white 
instead  of  pink  husks,  is  occasionally  found  ;  but  although  the  con- 
trast between  the  white  husks  and  the  orange  seeds  is  curious,  the 
effect  is  less  pleasing  than  that  presented  by  the  berries  of  the  com- 
moner sort. — Kew  Bulletin. 
BISABOL  MYRRH. 
Tucholka  gives  the  following  method  for  distinguishing  between 
bisabol  myrrh  and  the  official  drug:  Six  drops  of  petroleum  ether 
extract  (i  to  15)  are  mixed  with  3  c.c.  of  acetic  acid,  and  3cc.  of  sul- 
phuric acid  added  so  as  to  form  a  lower  layer.  A  rose-red  color  is 
developed  at  the  line  of  contact,  and  after  a  short  time  the  whole  of 
the  acetic  acid  layer  is  colored  red,  remaining  so  for  some  time.  If 
the  petroleum  ether  extract  is  more  concentrated,  the  resulting  color 
is  brown.  The  official  myrrh,  treated  with  this  reagent,  gives  only 
a  slight  rose  coloration  of  the  acid  layer,  which  does  not  increase ; 
the  contact  line  of  both  fluids  is  first  green,  changing  on  standing 
to  brown,  with  a  greenish  fluorescence.  An  analysis  of  bisabol 
myrrh  gave:  Gum  soluble  in  water,  22-1  ;  gum  soluble  in  soda  solu- 
tion, 2985;  resin,  21-5;  bitter  principle,  1*5";  ethereal  oil,  78; 
water,  317;  vegetable  and  inorganic  matter,  13  4.  The  ethereal  oil 
gave  the  above  distinctive  color  reaction  very  markedly.  By  means 
of  a  modification  of  Wallach's  method  for  the  preparation  of  the 
hydrochloride  of  the  terpenes,  small,  well-formed,  tablet-shaped  crys- 
tals, melting  at  79-3,  were  obtained.  The  author  calls  this  product 
"  Bisabolene  ;  "  he  is  unable  to  identify  it  with  any  known  terpene. 
It  has  the  unusually  high  boiling  point  of  2600  C.  The  red  oil  from 
which  the  crystalline  hydrochloride  was  separated,  when  fractionated 
between  2300  to  2390,  gave  the  characteristic  color  reaction.  The 
oil,  no  doubt,  also  contains  alcoholic  ester-like  compounds,  since 
benzoyl  chloride  reacts  very  violently  with  it  on  gentle  heating. 
The  resin  removed  by  alcohol  has  a  strong  acid  reaction.  Two 
distinct  acids  were  obtained,  one  of  which  furnished  a  soluble,  and 
the  other  an  insoluble  lead  salt. — Pharm.  Centr.,  xxxviii,  500,  through 
Pharmaceutical  Journal. 
