480  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {As™pimbe?,hi898?' 
CATHARTIC  ACID  IN  RHUBARB. 
By  A.  B.  Stevens. 
The  author  has  separated  a  large  quantity  of  this  acid  by  a  modification  of 
the  former  method  employed  by  him  and  George  P.  Wilder.  The  evaporation 
was  performed  without  direct  heat  by  passing  a  current  of  air,  warmed  and  dried, 
over  the  liquid,  which  was  constantly  agitated  with  a  mechanical  stirrer.  It  is 
proposed,  in  a  subsequent  investigation, to  compare  the  acid  of  rhubarb  and  that 
obtained  from  senna. 
THE  BITTER  PRINCIPLE  OF  CASCARA  SAGRADA. 
By  A.  R.  L.  Dohme. 
The  fluid  extract  of  the  drug  was  evaporated  until  all  of  the  alcohol  was  re- 
moved, resulting  in  the  precipitation  of  a  resin.  The  clear  filtrate  was  treated 
with  calcined  magnesia,  and  produced  a  dark  brown  precipitate.  This  was 
treated  when  dry  with  alcohol,  whereupon  it  became  reddish  and  dissolved  with 
the  exception  of  a  wax-like  residue.  The  alcoholic  solution  was  evaporated 
and  the  residue  treated  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  whereupon  the  greater  part 
remained  undissolved,  and  the  acid  liquid  resulting  yielded  to  ether  a  light 
brown  colored  resin.  It  is  believed  that  the  residue  left  when  the  magnesium 
salt  is  treated  with  sulphuric  acid  is  the  bitter  principle,  as  it  has  an  extremely 
bitter  taste  of  marked  and  increasing  intensity.  This  is  an  acid  resin  and  has  been 
saponified.  He  has  also  obtained  two  other  substances,  neither  of  which  have, 
however,  as  yet  been  obtained  in  a  pure  form.  The  work  will  be  continued,  and 
the  nature  of  the  four  substances  described  ascertained. 
ALKALOIDAL  CONSTITUENT  OF  TARAXACUM. 
By  I,.  E).  Sayre. 
The  author  has  continued  his  investigations  and  finds  a  small  amount  (0*002 
per  cent.)  of  an  alkaloid  in  taraxacum  root.  This  principle  gave  copious  pre- 
cipitate with  Mayer's  reagent,  gold  chloride  and  other  alkaloidal  reagents. 
NOTE  ON  "GOGO,"  A  PHILIPPINE  ISLAND  DRUG. 
By  E.  H.  Gane, 
"Gogo"is  the  native  name  given  to  the  fibrous  portion  of  the  trunk  of 
Eutada  scandens  Benth,  N.  O.  Leguminosese.  The  product  is  of  stem  and  not 
root  origin.  It  occurs  in  long,  flattened  pieces,  ^  feet  in  length  and  finch 
wide,  of  a  brick -red  color  and  of  very  fibrous  nature,  interspersed  with  long, 
tough  woody  strings.  The  woody  strings  consisted  of  wood  vessels  of  enormous 
size  and  length  and  are  very  characteristic.  The  seeds  have  been  found  admixed 
with  calabar  beans  and  are  reputed  to  possess  emetic  properties.  The  drug 
possesses  an  acrid  burning  taste  when  chewed,  and  when  swallowed  causes  con- 
siderable nausea.  The  drug  contains  0*56  per  cent,  saponin,  which  appears 
identical  with  that  of  quillaja.  The  curative  power  of  the  drug  is  evidently  due 
to  the  saponin. 
DIFFERENTIATION  OF  COAL  TAR  PRODUCTS. 
By  H.  P.  Hynson. 
The  author  takes  a  2  per  cent,  alcoholic  (95  per  cent.)  solution  of  the  drug 
and  burns  off  the  alcohol  by  applying  a  lighted  match  directly  to  it.  The  nature 
