AmAp°rnr,'i8S8arm"}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  209 
one  worthy  of  investigation,  and  mentions  that,  in  the  districts 
where  it  abounds,  its  infusion  has  proved  useful  in  the  treatment 
of  hydatids,  low  fevers,  etc. 
The  plant  is  indigenous  to  Victoria,  Australia,  and  belongs  to  the 
natural  order  Leguminosae,  suborder  Papilionaceae.  It  is  a  low- 
growing  shrub,  and  is  also  known  as  the  "  Native  Hop  Bush,"  prob- 
ably on  account  of  its  bitter  taste. 
The  author  states  that  a  crystalline  principle  may  be  obtained  by 
making  an  infusion  of  the  leaves  (and  flowers  when  in  season),  con- 
centrating to  about  one-half,  and  setting  aside  for  crystallization 
to  take  place.  After  separation  of  the  crystals,  of.  which  a  further 
crop  may  be  obtained  by  slight  evaporation  of  the  liquid,  an  oleo- 
resin  having  a  bitter  taste  remains. 
A  small  amount  of  the  crystalline  principle  was  examined  by 
Messrs.  Paul  and  Cownley,1  who  report  on  it  as  follows  : 
"  It  was  a  bitter,  neutral  substance,  readily  soluble  in  hot  water, 
crystalling  out  on  cooling  in  the  form  of  fine  white  needles,  which 
were  rendered  anhydrous  at  100-1200  C.  It  was  insoluble  in  ether, 
soluble  in  boiling  chloroform  and  readily  dissolved  by  weak  alcohol, 
from  which  it  was  left  as  an  amorphous  residue  on  evaporation,  but 
soon  crystallized  on  the  addition  of  a  little  water.  It  was  soluble 
in  caustic  soda,  and  reprecipitated  apparently  unchanged  by  acids. 
On  purification  of  the  original  crystals  by  recrystallization  from 
water,  the  substance  still  retained  its  bitter  taste  and  had  a  constant 
melting-point  after  having  been  dried  at  1200.  Fusion  with  sodium 
gave  no  indication  of  nitrogen.  It  did  not  reduce  Fehling's  solution 
until  after  hydrolysis  by  boiling  with  acid  Its  aqueous  solution  was 
precipitated  by  ammoniacal  lead  acetate,  but  not  by  neutral  lead 
acetate." 
As  stated  by  Messrs.  Paul  and  Cownley,  these  results  point  to  this 
substance  as  being  either  a  glucoside  or  sugar,  but  unless  the  per- 
sistent bitter  taste  could  be  eliminated  by  further  purification,  they 
are  in  favor  of  the  former  view. 
These  investigators  hope  to  continue  their  study  of  the  constitu- 
ents of  Daviesia  latifolia  when  they  obtain  the  leaves  in  sufficient 
quantity  for  the  satisfactory  extraction  of  them. 
HYDROCINCHONINE. 
Dr.  Hesse  has  been  further  investigating  hydrocinchonine,  which 
was  first  obtained  by  Caventou  and  Willm  by  oxidation  of  commer- 
1  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  February  26,  1898. 
