484  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {A^)Vtober,1imai* 
with  chromic  acid  (yielding,  among  other  substances,  an  oxygen 
free  base). 
The  Influence  of  Alkaline  Substances  upon  Oxidation  Processes.  By 
E.  Schaer.  Presented  by  E.  Kremers.  These  influences  were  dis- 
cussed according  to  the  nature  of  the  oxidation,  under  three 
classes:  (1)  Oxidations  produced  by  the  salts  of  heavy,  more 
particularly,  noble  metals  (e.  g.,  Fehling's  solution,  etc.) ;  (2) 
intra-molecular  oxidation  (e.  g.y  guaiac  blue,  quinone,  benzoyl  per- 
oxide, etc.) ;  (3)  spontaneous  oxidation  with  the  formation  of 
more  stable  and  more  highly  oxidized  products.  The  paper 
presented  a  resume  of  the  work  done  at  the  Pharmaceutical 
Institute  of  the  University  of  Strassburg,  and  elsewhere,  and  pub- 
lished in  journals  and  proceedings  of  several  countries.  The  author 
concluded  his  essay  with  the  statement  that  the  activating  influence 
of  alkalies,  even  of  the  weakest  ones,  was  so  far-reaching  in  pro- 
cesses of  oxidation  and  auto-oxidation  that  their  presence  could  no 
longer  be  ignored  in  chemical  and  pharmaceutical  work. 
Chemical  Examination  of  Grindelia.  By  Frederick  B.  Power  and 
Frank  Tutin.  Presented  by  Chas.  Caspari,  Jr.  The  drug  used  for 
this  examination  was  considered  to  be  Grindelia  robusta,  one  of  the 
varieties  of  the  latter  or  a  closely  related  species,  it  having  been 
procured  in  an  original  package  directly  from  California.  The 
authors  conclude  from  their  work  (1)  that  the  chief  constituents  of 
Grindelia  are  amorphous  resins,  to  which  its  medicinal  value  is 
probably  to  be  attributed;  (2)  Grindelia  contains  a  considerable 
amount  of  a  laevo- rotatory  sugar,  apparently  l-glucose.  It  also  con- 
tains proteid  substances,  amorphous  coloring  matter  and  tannin,  and 
an  exceedingly  small  amount  of  an  essential  oil,  possessing  the  char- 
acteristic odor  of  the  drug ;  (3)  they  are  unable  to  confirm  the  ob- 
servations of  previous  investigators  respecting  the  presence  of  a 
saponin  or  an  alkaloid. 
Contribution  to  the  Chemistry  of  Chelidonine.  By  J.  O.  Schlot- 
terbeck  and  Burton  S.  Knapp.  Chelidonine  is  the  principal  alkaloid 
of  Chelidonium  majus  and  Stylophorum  diphyllum.  Its  formula  is 
C20H19NO5,H2O  and  melting  point  1360.  It  contains  one  hydroxyl 
and  forms  beautiful  acetyl  and  benzoyl  compounds.  Saturated  with 
HQ  gas  at  20°  and  then  allowed  to  stand  in  a  sealed  tube  for  six 
days  at  ordinary  temperature,  chelidonine  seems  to  be  converted  into 
amorphous  tri-chelidonine.  Fusion  with  alkali  gives  a  phenolic 
body,  probably  proto-catechuic  acid.    Zinc  dust  distillation  does  not 
