AmsipL^76.rm* }  Gleanings  from  the  Foreign  Journals.  413 
part  of  alcoholic  extract  of  hops  in  200  parts  of  malt  extract.  (Fluid 
extract  of  lupulin  may  be  advantageously  used. — Editor.) 
Syrup  of  ?nalt  is  an  unstable,  unnecessary  preparation,  made  by  mix- 
ing one  part  of  malt  extract  with  nine  of  simple  syrup. — Phar.  Cent. 
Halle,  No.  24. 
The  constituents  of  ergot  of  rye,  according  to  Prof.  Dragendorff  and  M. 
Padwissotzky,  are,  1,  scleromucin,  a  colloidal  substance,  containing 
nitrogen,  but  giving  no  albuminoid,  alkaloidal  or  glucosidal  reaction, 
insoluble  in  45  per  cent,  alcohol,  and  after  drying  only  partially  soluble 
in  water  ;  2,  sclerotic  acid,  soluble  in  45  and  in  boiling  75  per  cent, 
alcohol,  colloidal  in  the  pure  state,  containing  nitrogen ;  3,  sclerery- 
thrin, a  red  coloring  matter,  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether,  chloroform  and 
caustic  alkalies  (in  the  latter  with  a  murexid  color),  but  in  combination 
with  lime  insoluble  in  water  and  alcohol,  probably  a  derivative  of 
anthraquinon  ;  4,  scleroiodin,  a  coloring  matter  insoluble  in  alcohol, 
ether,  chloroform  and  water,  soluble  in  potassa  solution,  with  a  splen- 
did violet  color  ;  5,  sclerocrystallin,  crystallizing  in  needles,  soluble  in 
chloroform,  with  difficulty  in  ether,  insoluble  in  water  and  alcohol, 
formula  probably  C10H10O4 ;  6,  scleroxanthin,  a  hydrated  compound  of 
the  preceding,  yellow  and  crystalline  ;  7,  another  yellow  coloring  matter^ 
amorphous;  8,  brownish  resin;  9,  Wendell's  alkaloids  ("Am.  Jour. 
Phar.,"  1864,  p.  193),  probably  identical  with  each  other,  inactive 
upon  frogs. 
The  most  active  of  these  compounds^is  sclerotic  acid,  which  has 
been  successfully  used  by  Prof,  von  Hoist  in  doses  of  0*04  to  0  05 
grams  injected  subcutaneously.  Sclererythrin  and  scleroiodin  have  a 
slight  action  upon  frogs.  Tanrefs  ergotinin  is  not  a  chemically  distinct 
compound  j  its  action  upon  frogs  and  the  color  reaction  with  sulphuric 
acid  depend  upon  the  presence  of  sclererythrin. — Phar.  four,  and 
Trans.,  June  17. 
Ergotin. — The  researches  of  Professor  Salkowski  and  other  German 
chemists  on  the  active  principle  in  the  preparation  of  ergotin  were  re- 
cently referred  to.  Professor  Buchheim  now  writes  to  the  Klinische 
Wochenschrift  confessing  that  he  also  has  not  succeeded  in  isolating 
completely  that  principle,  though  he  worked  on  it  for  several  months  ; 
and  he  states  his  reasons  why  he  thinks  that  such  isolation  might  be 
impossible,  and  that  for  practical  medical  purposes  the  infusion  of 
ergot,  or  the  freshly  prepared  extract,  will  alone  remain  available. 
