Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
September,  18P8.  i 
Reviews. 
455 
Committee  of  Revision  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  the  United  States  of  America  : 
i 890-1 900. 
The  object  of  this  work  is  to  furnish  a  descriptive  index  of  the  work  that 
has  been  done  on  the  estimation  of  alkaloids,  rather  than  to  abstract  or  sum- 
marize it.  References  to  republications  and  abstracts  as  well  as  to  the  original 
publication  are  given. 
Beitrag  zur  Kenntuiss  der  Fj,echten  und  ihrer  charatkeristischen 
BestandtheiIvE.—  Von  O.  Hesse.  (Erste  Mittheilung.)  Separat-Abdruck  aus 
dem  Journal  fur  praktische  Chemie.    Neue  Folge,  Band  57.  1898. 
The  author  has  obtained  a  large  number  of  compounds  from  different  species 
of  Cetraria,  Cladonia,  Darbishirella,  Dendographa,  Evernia,  Roccellaria, 
Reinkella,  Ramalina,  Roccella  and  Usnea.  For  the  extraction  of  these  various 
lichens  Hesse  employed  ether.  He  obtained  the  following  compounds  :  Usnic 
acid,  C18H1607,  the  M.  P.  of  which  is  1960.  Barbatinic  acid,  for  which  Sten- 
house  and  Groves  gave  the  formula  C19H20O7,  but  which  Hesse  finds  to  be 
C22H2408,  and  M.  P.  1860.  Usnaric  acid  (C30H22O15),  upon  heating,  becomes 
brown  and  black,  and  does  not  melt  at  2600.  Usnarin  has  the  M.  P.  1800. 
Vulpinic  acid  has  the  formula  C19H1405.  Divaricatic  acid  has  the  formula 
C22H2607,  and  M.  P.  1290.  Evernic  acid  has  the  formula  C17H1607,  and  M.  P. 
168-1690;  on  heating  with  barium  hydrate,  it  yields  orcin,  and  at  15S0,  ever- 
nic  acid  (C9H10O4).  Ramalic  acid  has  the  formula  C17H1607,  and  M.  P. 
1790,  and  yields,  with  barium  salts,  the  same  products  as  evernic  acid.  Ery- 
thrin  has  the  formula  C20H22O104-H2O,  and  it  does  not  lose  the  molecule  of 
water  at  1370,  but  at  1480.  Oxyrocellic  acid  has  the  formula  C17H3205,  and 
M.  P.  1280.  Rocellic  acid  has  the  formula  C17H3204,  and  M.  P.  129-1300. 
Lecanoric  acid  has  the  formula  Cx  6H1 407,  becomes  anhydrous  at  1660,  melts,  and, 
upon  cooling,  its  solution  with  glacial  acetic  acid  changes  entirely  into  Orsellinic 
acid.  Rocellaric  acid  forms  beautiful  needles,  melting  at  no0.  Rangiformic 
acid  has  the  formula,  according  to  Hesse,  of  C2iH3606,  contrary  to  Paterno, 
who  gave  the  formula  as  CX1H1803.  This  acid  melts  at  1020,  and,  upon  heat- 
ing with  hydrochloric  acid  at  1190,  yields  Norrangiformic  acid  (C20H34O6). 
Atranorin  is  not  an  acid,  as  Paterno  and  Oglialora  designated  it,  viz.,  as  Atra- 
noric  acid.  The  formula  of  Atranorin  is  C19H18Og ;  M.  P.  is  187-1880,  decom- 
posing at  this  temperature  also.  On  heating  Atranorin  with  glacial  acetic  acid 
in  a  tube  at  1500,  it  yields  Physicol,  having  the  formula  C7H803,  and  M.  P. 
104-1050,  and  an  ester  (C10H12O4),  which  is  identical  with  Physcianin,  Atraric 
acid  and  Ceratophyllin.  On  treating  Atranorin  with  alcohols  an  acid,  called 
by  Hesse  Hamatommic  acid  (C8H703.COOH),  is  obtained.  Atranorinic  acid 
has  the  formula  C18H1809,  and  M.  P.  1570.  Protocetraric  acid  has  the  formula 
C30H22O15-|-H20.  On  heating  alone,  it  does  not  melt,  but  becomes  uniformly 
blackish,  and  on  heating  with  alkalies  and  alkali  carbonates,  yields  Fumaric 
acid  and  bitter  Cetrarsaure,  C26H20O12.  Lichesterinic  acid  has  the  formula 
C17H2804,  and  M.  P.  109-no0  (not  1200,  as  previously  given).  Chrysocetraric 
acid  forms  beautiful  golden-yellow  shining  plates  and  needles,  the  formula  of 
which  is  C19H1406,  M.  P.  196-1980,  and  on  heating  with  barium  hydrate  and 
water,  yields  oxypulvinic  acid  (C18H1206). 
Principal  Poisonous  Plants  of  the  United  States.  By  V.  K.  Chest- 
nut.   Washington  :    Government  Printing  Office. 
In  the  annual  report  of  the  Botanist  for  1894  was  emphasized  the  importance 
