An,FJebu,r'i8P79?rm  }  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  81 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Louis  von  Cotzhausen,  Ph.G. 
Cinchotenicia. — On  dissolving  one  molecule  of  cinchotenia,  a  deriva- 
tive of  cinchonia,  in  dilute  sulphuric  acid  containing  one  molecule  of 
H2S04 ,  and  evaporating  this  solution  at  a  moderate  heat,  an  amor- 
phous residue  was  obtained  by  O.  Hesse,  which,  after  fully  drying  at 
I20°C.  became  crystalline,  still  apparently  consisting  of  cinchotenia- 
sulphate.  If  this  is  heated  to  140  to  I50°C,  or  is  melted,  it  will  be 
transformed  into  amorphous  cinchotenicia-sulphate,  aad  still  retain 
almost  the  same  weight,  but  assumes  a  dark-brown  color.  By  dissolv- 
ing it  in  water,  removing  the  sulphuric  acid  by  baryta-water,  and  the 
excess  of  baryta  by  carbonic  acid,  a  brownish-yellow  solution  of  cin- 
chotenicia is  obtained,  which,  after  treatment  with  animal  charcoal  and 
evaporation,  leaves  dark-brown,  amorphous  cinchotenicia  ;  after  pow- 
dering, it  is  yellow,  dissolves  readily  in  cold  and  hot  water,  alcohol, 
chloroform,  diluted  acids,  ammonia,  potassa  or  soda,  but  is  insoluble  in 
ether.  Its  brownish-yellow,  bitter  solution  in  water  rotates  polarized 
light  to  the  right.  It  yields  the  characteristic  reactions  of  alkaloids, 
melts  at  I53°C,  is  decomposed  at  i8o°C,  and  differs  from  cincho- 
tenia in  being  more  easily  acted  upon  by  boiling  nitric  acid. — Ber. 
d.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  1878,  p.  1983. 
Quinia-Carbolate  of  Commerce,  according  to  the  statement  of 
Dr.  Biel,  is  alwavs  a  sulpho-carbolate,  as  can  be  proved  by  melting  it 
on  platinum  foil  with  soda  and  saltpetre,  when  the  resulting  mass, 
dissolved  in  dilute  nitric  acid,  will  yield  a  strong  reaction  for  sulphuric 
acid. — Pharm.  Ztschr.  f.  Russl,  Oct.  15,  1878,  p.  616. 
Substitutes  for  Cinchona  Barks.  AUtonia  constricta. — The  bark 
was  analyzed  by  Palm,  who  found  it  not  to  contain  a  trace  of  quinia,  the 
presence  of  which  had  been  asserted.  He  isolated,  however,  a  bitter 
principle,  alstonin^  which  is  not  an  alkaloid  and  not  in  the  least  similar 
to  quinia. 
AUtonia  scholaris,  R.  Br. — According  to  O.  Hesse,  the  bark  which 
is  known  as  dita  bark  does  not  contain  5  per  cent,  of  an  alkaloid  similar  to 
quinia,  as  alleged  by  Gruppe,  but  contains  0'02  per  cent,  of  ditam'w,  an 
alkaloid  soluble  in  ether,  and  another  alkaloid,  echitamia,  crystallizing 
with  oxalic  acid,  and  soluble  in  concentrated  H2S04  . 
A.  spectabilis^  R.  Br. — The  bark  is  used  as  a  fever-medicine  in  Java 
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