Am*Fe°bU!''iS6arm'}         Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica.  91 
is  due  to  a  volatile  oil,  and  it  is  said  to  contain  also  considerable 
resin  and  a  fluorescent  principle  crystallizing  in  needles  and  resem- 
bling sesculin.  Filhol  (Compt.  rend.,  1.),  determined  the  presence  of 
crocin  in  Fabiana  indica. 
Asparagin  in  Hops. — Bimgener  and  Fries  have  shown  that  hop 
contains  about  1  per  cent,  of  asparagin,  the  nitrogen  of  which  is  equal 
to  30  per  cent,  of  the  total  nitrogen  in  hops. — Chem.  Ztg.,  1885,  No. 
86;  Zeitsch.  Brauw.,  ~No.  13. 
Danais  fragrans,  Commerson;  nat.  ord.  Rubiacea?.  The  root  of 
this  plant,  which  is  a  climbing  shrub  of  Madagascar,  is  in  great  repute 
there  as  a  vulnerary  and  antiherpetic,  and  is  employed  also  as  a 
tonic  and  antiperiodic.  Heckel  and  Schlagdenhauffen  have  recently 
examined  it  (Compt.  rend.,  ci,  p.  955),  and  showed  that  Bourdon's 
supposed  alkaloid  danaidine  is  calcium  sulphate ;  but  they  isolated  a 
greenish-brown  glucoside  danain,  which  is  soluble  in  alcohol,  acetone 
and  hot  water,  and  less  freely  soluble  in  chloroform,  ether  and  cold 
water.  It  dies  fabrics,  is  precipitated  by  lead  acetates  and  seems  to 
represent  the  medicinal  properties  of  the  root. 
Test  for  olive  oil. — Audoynaud  recommends  (Rep.  de  Phar.,  1885, 
p.  498),  agitating  2  c.c.  of  the  oil  with  Ol  gm.  of  powdered  potassium 
bichromate;  after  a  few  minutes  sufficient  nitroso-sulphuric  acid  to 
make  4  c.c.  is  added  and  the  brown-red  mixture  agitated ;  on  the  addi- 
tion of  1  c.c.  of  ether  pure  olive  oil  rises  to  the  surface  with  a  green 
color.  In  the  presence  of  5  per  cent,  or  more  of  the  oils  of  sesame, 
ground-nut,  cotton  seed  or  poppy  seed,  the  color  of  the  oily  layer 
varies  from  yellowish-green  to  yellow  or  reddish-yellow;  the  addi- 
tion of  water  makes  the  color  more  apparent. 
Coloring  Matter  of  Cochineal. — W.  Will  and  H.  Leymann  (Ber.  D. 
Chem.  Ges.,  1885,  p.  3180-3193),  obtained  from  5  kilos  of  silver- 
gray  cochineal  between  400  and  500  gm.  of  pure  carmine-red.  Dis- 
solved in  50  per  cent,  acetic  acid  and  boiled  with  excess  of  bromine, 
colorless  needles  of  C10H4Br4O3,  are  obtained,  which  are  insoluble  in 
water,  readily  soluble  in  alkalies,  and  sparingly  soluble  in  hot  alcohol, 
benzol  or  glacial  acetic  acid.  The  acetic  mother-liquor  yields  with 
water  yellow  amorphous  floccules,  readily  soluble  in  alcohol,  benzol 
and  ether,  and  yielding,  on  boiling  with  concentrated  potassa  solution, 
a  red  pulverulent  salt,  the  acid  of  which,  when  liberated,  crystallized 
in  yellow  glossy  needles,  having  the  composition  CnH5Br304,  and 
which  has  no  tinctorial  properties ;  but  all  its  salts  are  strongly  colored. 
