412 
Editorial. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      August,  1898. 
EDITORIAL. 
OCCURRENCE  OF  METHYL,  SALICYLATE  IN  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM. 
It  has  been  thought  that  the  finding  of  certain  chemical  constituents 
in  several  plants  might  have  some  systematic  value.  The  presence  of  solanine 
in  several  species  of  Solanum  might  be  considered  as  of  having  some  diagnostic 
value  in  considering  the  plants  belonging  to  this  genus,  just  as  strychnine1 
seems  to  be  confined  to  the  genus  Strychnos,  or,  at  the  most,  to  the  N.  O. 
Loganiaceae  ;  quinine  to  cinchona,  etc.  The  modern  researches  of  the  plant 
chemist  would  seem  to  indicate,  however,  that  there  is  more  uniformity  in  the 
products  manufactured  from  different  plants,  and  that  while  there  may -seem  to 
be  certain  restrictions  in  some  cases,  in  other  cases  there  is  no  end  to  the  dis- 
tribution and  manufacture  of  similar  principles  in  plants  rather  widely  sepa- 
rated. For  instance,  hydrocyanic  acid,  which  was  supposed  to  be  confined  to 
the  sub-orders  Amygdaleae  and  Pomese  of  the  N.  O.  Rosacese,  is  now  found2  in 
Phaseolus  lunatus,  h.  (N.  O.  Leguminosese)  ;  Passiflora  quadrdngulata,  h. 
(N.  O.  Passifloraceae);  Colocasia  gigantea,  Hook.  fil.  (N.  O.  Aroidese)  ;  Kairi- 
mia  zeylanica  Arn.  (N.  O.  Celastrinese),  and  a  species  of  Cupania  (N.  O. 
Sapindacese).  It  is  also  found,  according  to  Peckolt,  in  the  root  of  Mani- 
hot  utilissima3  (N.  O.  Buphorbiaceae)  and  Vicia*. 
The  results  of  the  work  of  plant  chemists  recently  would  indicate  possibly 
that  methyl  salicylate  is  likewise  much  more  widely  distributed  in  the  plant 
kingdom  than  was  supposed.  The  earliest  reference  to  the  occurrence  of 
methyl  salicylate  is  by  Haase,1  who  distilled  Viola  tricolor,  L.,with  water,  and 
obtained  an  ethereal  oil,  lighter  than  water  and  possessing  an  odor  of  peach 
kernels  (Pfirschkern).  This  investigation  seems  never  to  have  been  further 
confirmed  save  by  Kraemer,5  who  found  that  upon  rubbing  younger  portions 
(Sposs-spitzen)  of  Viola  tricolor,  L,.,  var.  vulgaris,  Koch,  and  V.  tricolor,  L.,  var. 
arvensis,  Murray,  between  the  fingers,  an  odor  of  methyl  salicylate  was  appar- 
ent. This  subject  still  requires  chemical  investigation,  although  several 
authors  have  determined  the  presence  of  salicylic  acid  in  Viola  tricolor. 
The  first  record,  according  to  J.  U.  Lloyd,6  of  the  therapeutic  use  of  this  oil 
is  to  be  found  in  empirical  medicine.  "  The  following  reprint  from  an  anony- 
mous writer,7  establishes  the  subject  more  clearly,  in  that  it  gives  a  very  fair 
description  of  oil  of  gaultheria,  as  well  as  making  a  statement  to  the  effect 
that  it  is  the  same  as  sweet  birch  oil,  and  showing  further  that  many  different 
plants  yield  the  same  oil." 
"  Oil  of  Gaultheria  pro cumb ens  is  the  heaviest  essential  oil  of  which  we  have 
any  knowledge  ;  for  I  have  found  it  to  be  IT7.  This  furnishes  us  with  an  easy 
mode  of  testing  its  purity.  The  wonderful  success  of  Swaim's  Panacea  has 
brought  this  oil  into  great  vogue  with  all  venders  of  catholicons,  panaceas  and 
syrups  of  sarsaparilla.     It  appears  to  be  a  vegetable  principle  secreted  in 
1  Die  Pjlanzenstoffe,  p.  1281. 
-  Nederl.  Tijdschr.  voor  Pharmacie,  p.  1  ;  through  Pharm.  Zeit.,  1898,  p.  304. 
3  Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1872,  p.  455. 
4  Inaug. -Dissert.  Uber  Viola  tricolor,  Erlangeu,  1782. 
5  Inaug. -Dissert,  uber  Viola  tricolor,  Marburg,  1897. 
0  Pharm.  Review,  1898,  p.  176. 
7  Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1831,  p.  199. 
