Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July ,  1886. 
Bitter  .Principle  of  Cranberry. 
325 
propose  the  name  oxycoccin.  It  represents  a  yellowish  brown  extract- 
like mass,  which  gives,  when  dried,  a  very  hygroscopic  powder  of 
lighter  brown  color. 
It  dissolves  easily  in  water  and  alcohol,  very  sparingly  in  ether  and 
chloroform.  When  heated  on  platinum  foil,  it  at  first  swells  up  con- 
siderably, evolving  a  strong,  peculiar  smell,  then  ignites  with  flame 
and  is  almost  entirely  consumed,  leaving  but  little  ashes  (of  an  alkaline 
reaction),  containing  sodium  and  some  potassium.  Heated  in  a  glass 
tube  it  is  easily  reduced  to  coal  under  evolution  of  a  penetrating  smell 
somewhat  resembling  that  of  tobacco  juice.  In  its  conduct  towards 
reagents  it  resembles  somewhat  arbutin  ;  like  this  substance,  which, 
however,  forms  long  needle-shaped  crystals,  it  reduces,  when  heated  for 
a  short  time  with  very  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  an  alkaline  copper  so- 
lution ;  besides  that  it  is  giving  a  blue  color  with  phosphomolybdic 
acid  and  ammonia,  a  reaction,  which  from  now  cannot  be  used  any 
more  for  the  detection  of  arbutin  in  a  liquid,  and  the  only  value  of 
which  is  consequently,  that  by  means  of  the  same  the  absence,  but  not 
the  presence,  of  arbutin  can  be  ascertained. 
Of  the  above  reactions  the  most  interesting  is  that  one,  which 
shows  that  the  bitter  principle  of  the  cranberry  is  converted  by  boil- 
ing with  dilute  acids  into  glucose  and  another  perhaps  yet  unknown 
substance,  and  that,  in  consequence  of  this  fact,  it  belongs  to  the  glu- 
cosides. 
Finally  I  may  be  allowed  to  mention  in  regard  to  the  above 
obtained  lead  and  calcium  precipitates,  that  their  examination  was  al- 
ready commenced  some  time  ago  and  that  from  them  a  calcium  salt 
was  obtained,  forming  beautiful  four — or  mostly  six — sided  plates,  on 
the  identity  of  which  with  calcium  kinate  the  necessary  tests  will  be 
made  soon. 
Cleveland,  May,  1886. 
Kava  as  a  Local  Anaesthetic— Lewin  (Deutsche  Medicinal- Zeitung, 
Feb.  1, 1886)  reports  the  results  of  additional  personal  experiments  with  thisnew 
narcotic,  the  anaesthetic  properties  of  which  are  singularly  like  those  of  cocaine 
(see  this  Journal,  p.  138).  He  found  that  six  or  seven  minims  of  a  solution  of 
kava,  injected  beneath  the  skin,  produced  complete  loss  of  sensibility  in  the  sur- 
rounding area,  which  did  not  pass  off  for  five  days.  The  anaesthesia  was  so 
extreme  that  even  strong  induced  .currents  failed  to  produce  more  than  a  slight 
prickling  sensation.  When  a  small  quantity  of  the  resin  was  placed  on  the  tip 
of  the  tongue  the  bitterest  drug  could  not  be  tasted. — X  Y.  Med.  Jour.,  May 
8,  1886. 
