Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1913. 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
263 
PROGRESS  IN  PHARMACY. 
A  Quarterly  Review  of  Some  of  the  Literature  Relating  to 
Pharmacy  and  Materia  Medica. 
By  John  K.  Thum,  Ph.G.,  German  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Aconite  Alkaloids. — Schulze  and  Biertung  (Archiv  der 
Pharm.,  1913,  8)  have  carried  out  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  alka- 
loids of  Aconitum  Lycoctonum.  The  two  bases  of  the  plant  were 
termed  lycaconitine  and  myoetinine.  By  hydrolysis  of  either  alka- 
loid by  means  of  hydrochloric  acid  a  new  alkaloid  is  obtained,  to 
which  the  name  anthranoyl-lycoctonine  has  been  given.  The  new 
alkaloid  is  very  fluorescent  in  either  alcoholic  or  ethereal  solution. 
Adulterated  Gentian. — Tschirch,  upon  an  examination  of 
some  samples  of  powdered  gentian,  found  that  they  were  adulter- 
ated with  yellow  dock  and  blunt  leaved  dock,  mountain  rhubarb, 
almond  shells  and  barley  bran.    (Schweiz.  Woch.  Chem.  Pharm.). 
An  Austrian  Investigation  of  Commercial  Digitalis 
Preparations. — In  a  .recent  paper  Weis  of  Vienna  reviews  some 
of  the  methods  for  the  physiologic  standardization  of  digitalis.  In 
his  investigation  of  commercial  "  ready-made  " .  tinctures  he  used 
the  frog  heart  method  as  described  by  Hale  in  Hygienic  Laboratory 
Bulletin  74.  He  found  these  tinctures  to  be  fifteen  times  less 
active  than  the  tinctures  made  from  good  leaves  in  accordance  with 
the  directions  of  the  Austrian  Pharmacopoeia.  He  also  states  that 
the  pharmacist  would  fulfil  his  obligations  to  the  physician  and 
patient  much  better  if  he  would  prepare  tinctures  himself  instead  of 
dispensing  those  made  by  manufacturing  houses.  (Jour.  A.  M. 
A.,  1913.) 
A  New  Alkaloid. — Bridel  (Zeit.  Allg.  Oest.  Apoth.  Verein, 
1913,  603)  has  isolated  an  alkaloid  from  the  rhizome  of  Menyanthes 
trifoliata,  which  he  terms  meliatine.  It  is  Isevorotatory,  and  is 
soluble  in  water,  alcohol,  and  acetone.  It  melts  at  223 °.  Its  for- 
mula is  C45H22O0.    (Chemist  and  Druggist,  Mar.  15,  1913.) 
A  New  Alkaloid  from  Pilocarpus. — According  to  Heger  and 
Rogues  if  a  mixture  of  all  the  alkaloids  from  Pilocarpus  micro- 
phyllus  be  changed  into  nitrates  or  chlorides,  and  these  recrystal- 
lized,  the  bases  remaining  in  the  mother-liquid  can  be  made  by 
fractional  precipitation  to  give  a  new  alkaloid,  to  which  the  name 
carpilline  has  been  given.  This  alkaloid  is  dextrogyrate,  and  a 
weak  mono-acid  base  with  the  formula  C16H1803N2. 
