234  Apocynum  Cannabinum. 
be  submitted  to  dry  distillation  with  an  excess  of  caustic  lime,  strongly 
alkaline  fumes,  possessing  the  peculiar  odor  of  Dippel's  oil,  are  pro- 
duced. The  distillate  on  rectification  gave  a  product  possessing  all  the 
properties  of  pyridin,  and  on  analysis  it  proved  to  be  this  base.  The 
reaction  appears  to  be  C8H5N06  (berberonic  acid)  =3C02  +  C5H5N 
(pyridin).  The  author  proposes  to  follow  up  this  work  by  a  study  of 
the  pyridin  bases  which  result  so  constantly  from  the  decomposition 
of  the  alkaloids. — Berichte  der  Cbem.  Gesells.,  xii,  p.  410. 
Two  Eng'ish  chemists,  J.  J.  Dobbie  and  W.  Ramsey,  have  been 
studying  the  decomposition  products  of  quinia  and  the  accompanying 
alkaloids,  and  have  gotten  results  very  analogous  to  those  of  Weidel 
just  mentioned.  Quinidia,  cinchonia  and  cinchonidia  yield, on  oxidation^ 
with  potassium  permanganate,  acids  which  appear  identical  in  all 
respects,  and  on  analysis  prove  to  be  tricarbopyridinic  acid,  C8H5N06-j- 
iJH20.  The  authors  conclude  that  the  cinchona  alkaloids  bear  a  very 
close  relation  to  the  pyridin  bases. — Ber.  der  Cbem.  Gesells.,  xii,  p.  392. 
The  composition  of  the  milk  ,  from  the  brosimum  galactodendron  has 
been  investigated  by  Boussingauit  ("  Comptes  Rend.,"  86,  p.  277).  The 
juice  obtained  from  incisions  in  the  bark  of  brosimum  galactodendron,  a  tree 
growing  in  Venezuela,  contains,  like  animal  milk,  a  fatty  substance,  a 
saccharine  body,  casein,  albumin  and  phosphates.  The  fatty  body 
resembles  very  much  beeswax,  fuses  at  50°C,  is  partly  saponifiable^ 
easily  soluble  in  ether,  but  difficultly  soluble  in  alcohol.  The  per- 
centage composition  of  the  milk  is  very  varying. — Berlchte  der  Chem„ 
Gesells.,  xii,  p.  374. 
APOCYNUM  CANNABINUM,1  PRECIPITATE  from  TINC- 
TURE AND  FLUID  EXTRACT. 
By  J.  U  Lloyd. 
The  root  of  this  plant  yields  a  very  bitter  tincture  or  fluid  extract^ 
darker  colored  when  made  from  the  dry  than  fresh,  whether  the  men- 
struum be  alcohol  or  mixtures  of  alcohol  and  water.  When  a  tincture 
or  fluid  extract  of  this  root  is  permitted  to  remain  quietly  a  white  sub- 
1  It  is  the  current  impression  that  the  Apocynum  root  of  commerce  (bitter-root, 
common  name)  is  A.  androsaemifolium.  This  I  find  generally  incorrect  as  applied 
to  the  drug  furnished  from  Cincinnati,  although  both  species  may  be  gathered  pro- 
miscuously where  A.  androsaemifolium  abounds,  which  is  not  the  case  in  this  section, 
although  said  to  be  local  to  some  places  near.    During  the  last  season,  I  compelled 
}A.m.  Jour.  Pharos 
May,  1879. 
