Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1886. 
Sophora  Speciosa,  Beniham. 
467 
producing  exhilaration,  followed  by  sleep  lasting  two  or  three  days, 
and  it  is  asserted  that  a  whole  bean  would  kill  a  man. 
Some  years  ago  (see  Am.  Jour.  Phae.,  1878,  pp.  33  and  283), 
the  seeds  attracted  attention  through  the  investigation  of  Dr.  H.  C. 
Wood, '  who  isolated  a  poisonous  alkaloid,  sophorine.  Both  Mr. 
Kalteyer  and  Mr.  Neil  found  the  alkaloid  in  the  testa  and  in  the 
kernel. 
Mr.  Neil  obtained  3  2  per  cent,  of  ash  from  the  whole  seed  ;  Mr. 
Kalteyer  3*1  per  cent,  from  the  kernel,  and  7*6  per  cent,  from  the 
integuments  ;  the  former  contained  chloride,  phosphate  and  a  trace 
of  sulphate  of  potassium,  calcium  and  magesium,  while  in  the; latter 
phosphate  and  chloride  of  potassium  and  calcium,  with  a  trace  of 
manganese  were  found. 
For  proximate  analysis  the  integuments  and  kernel  were  used 
separately ;  from  the  description  given  it  seems  that  the  layer  of 
albumen  was  added  to  the  embryo  by  Mr.  Neil,  and  to  the  testa  by 
Mr.  Kalteyer. 
Mr.  NeiPs  results  were  as  follows  : 
Testa.  Kernel. 
Extracted  by  petroleum  benzin,.  5.60         18*200  per  cent. 
"  ether,  lost  -153  " 
"        "  absolute  alcohol,  1*26  1*860  " 
"  distilled  water,  12*00         26*500  " 
The  alkaloid  was  found  in  the  alcoholic  extracts ;  slight  traces  of 
it  were  also  observed  in  the  other  extracts  from  the  kernel.  The 
specific  gravity  of  the  yellowish  red  fixed  oil,  obtained  by  benzin  from 
the  kernel,  was  determined  to  be  *889;  it  was  insoluble  in  alcohol, 
but  freely  soluble  in  ether,  chloroform  and  carbon  bisulphide.  The 
presence  of  sugar  was  determined  by  Fehling's  solution  in  the  water 
extracts.  As  far  as  examined,  the  other  constituents  agree  with  those 
determined  in  the  following  analysis. 
Mr.  Kalteyer's  results  are  tabulated  as  follows  : 
Percentage  from 
Testa.  Kernel. 
By  petroleum  spirit :  Saponifiable  fixed  oil,  sp.  gr., 
.912,   1-300  21*050 
By  ether  (resin  or  wax),   *100  trace 
By  alcohol :  Phlobaphene,   1*000  2*610 
Alkaloid,  organic  acids  (tannin  in  testa)  and 
other  organic  substances,   2*350  7*540 
By  water:  Inorganic  salts,   1*000  2*300 
Mucilage,  ,   4*150  1*500 
