AmAJu^,x5Sm  1  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  401 
it  also  prevents  vegetable  and  organic  substances  from  decomposing, 
fermenting  and  decaying. — Pharm.  Centralh.^  May  8,  1879,  p.  194. 
Poisonous  Products  from  Fermenting  Maize. —  Pellagra,  a  dis- 
ease peculiar  to  districts  where  maize  is  one  of  the  principal  articles  of 
food,  is  believed  by  Profs.  Lombrosa  and  Erba  to  be  caused  by  pecu- 
liar strongly  poisonous  products,  isolated  by  them  after  fermenting 
perfectly  healthy  maize.  Dr.  Cortez  and  Prof.  Husemann's  recent 
investigations  confirm  this  view,  but  indicate  that  the  principles  were 
not  isolated  in  a  pure  state,  and  that  they  have  a  varying  influence  on 
the  nervous  system,  some  prepared  during  the  hot  season  proving  as 
poisonous  as  strychnia,  while  others,  obtained  in  colder  weather,  pro- 
duced narcosis  and  paralysis,  frequently  accompanied  by  all  the  symp- 
toms of  nicotia-poisoning. — Pharm.  Ztg.,  June  7,  1879,  P*  34^- 
The  Alkaloid  of  Pomegranate  Bark,  named  pelletierina  by  Tanret, 
should  be  called punicin,  in  Dr.  F.  A.  Falck's  opinion,  because  Rhig- 
hini's  punicin,  prepared  in  1844,  was  tne  impure  alkaloid,  and  because 
the  name  pelletierin  should  be  reserved  for  the  active  principle  of 
Pelletiera  verna,  St.  Hil.,  N.  O.  Primulaceae. — Archiv  d.  Pharm.,  June, 
1879,  p.  528. 
Crystallized  Salicylate  of  Physostigmia,  C15H21N302,  C7H603, 
prepared  by  Merck,  consists  of  colorless,  brilliant,  needle- shaped  or 
rhombic  crystals,  is  soluble  in  24  parts  of  absolute  alcohol,  in  130  parts 
of  water  at  140  to  i6°C,  and  very  soluble  in  hot  water.  A  solution 
of  1  part  of  the  salicylate  in  50  parts  hot  water  will  not  crystallize  on 
cooling.  The  salt  is  not  altered  by  light,  but  its  aqueous  and  alcoholic 
solutions,  contained  in  well-stoppered  bottles,  begin  to  redden  in  one  or 
two  days. — Ztschr.  d.  Allg.  Oest.  Jpoth.  Ver.,  May  20,  1879,  p.  230. 
Anthocercina. — Anthocercis  viscosa,  N.O.  Solanaceae,  indigenous  to 
Western  Australia,  is  a  poisonous  plant,  several  feet  in  height.  Ferd. 
v.  Mueller  and  L.  Rummel  isolated  the  alkaloid  by  dissolving  the  alco- 
holic extract  of  the  aqueous  extract  in  water,  adding  caustic  soda  or 
ammonia,  shaking  with  ether,  and  the  ethereal  solution  with  diluted 
acid,  and  after  repeating  the  treatment  with  alkali  and  ether,  evapora- 
ting the  ethereal  solution  at  a  moderate  heat.  Anthocercin,  thus  pre- 
pared, is  a  yellow,  oily,  alkaline,  volatile  liquid,  is  heavier  than  water, 
has  a  bitter  taste  and  a  peculiar,  pleasant  odor,  is  scarcely  soluble  in 
*6 
