264  Alkaloids  of  the  Death  Camas.        {Am jJuXi9oh5?rm* 
also  from  the  acids,  proved  amorphous  under  the  microscope.  In  a 
capillary  tube  the  alkaloid  commenced  to  darken  at  1410  C.  and  to 
clear  at  145 °.  At  1500  fusion  was  complete.  With  phospho-tung- 
stic  acid,  potassio- mercuric  iodide  and  iodine  in  potassium  iodide 
solution,  the  solution  of  the  alkaloid  sulphate  gave  flocculent  pre- 
cipitates. 
The  properties  of  this  alkaloid  agree  with  those  or  veratralbine 
isolated  by  Wright  and  Luff  from  white  hellebore  Veratrum  album. 
The  melting-point  of  veratralbine  is  stated  by  these  investigators 
to  be  1 490  C.  Salzberger  considers  veratralbine  a  decomposition 
product  of  his  protoveratrine  (Ing.-Diss.,  1890).  Veratralbine  is  the 
main  constituent  of  the  mixture  obtained  as  also  in  Veratrum  Call- 
fornicum}  a  brief  study  of  which  was  made  in  connection  with  some 
work  on  the  stock-poisoning  plants  of  Idaho.  The  toxicity  of  the 
alkaloid  is  established  by  the  fact  that  1  milligram  killed  a  frog  in 
two  minutes  after  subcutaneous  injection. 
This  preliminary  study  indicates  the  presence  of  at  least  three 
distinct  alkaloids,  sabadine,  sabadinine  and  veratralbine,  probably 
derived  from  protoveratrine. 
University  of  Arizona,  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
Tucson,  Ariz. 
Prof.  Charles  Caspari,  Jr  ,  Dean  of  the  Faculty  of  the  School  of  Phar- 
macy of  the  University  of  Maryland,  had  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Pharmacy,  honoris  causa,  at  the  commencement  of  the  University 
on  May  13th.  In  conferring  the  degree  Provost  Bernard  Carter  said  :  ' 4  It  is  not 
the  custom  of  the  Maryland  University  to  confer  degrees  honoris  causa,  but 
owing  to  the  eminence  which  Professor  Caspari  has  achieved  in  his  profession, 
the  Regents  have  deemed  it  wise  to  confer  upon  him,  honoris  causa,  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Pharmacy." 
On  the  evening  of  May  12th  the  Alumni  Association  of  the  Maryland  College 
of  Pharmacy,  presented  Professor  Caspari  a  handsome  silver  service  of  eight 
pieces,  as  a  testimonial  in  honor  of  his  completion  of  twenty-five  years  of  ser- 
vice in  the  college. 
Dr.  Wiley  Merck,  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  Merck,  Darmstadt,  had 
conferred  upon  him  by  the  University  of  Halle,  Germany,  the  honorary  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine  "in  recognition  of  numerous  meritorious  contributions 
looking  to  the  advancement  of  the  therapeutic  side  of  medicine." 
