Am.  Jour.  Pharm.\ 
January,  1895.  y 
Reviews. 
49 
abstract  in  the  September  number  of  this  journal.  These  papers  are  of  such  a 
character  as  to  bear  reading  in  full.  The  one  on  "Animal  Extracts,"  by  C.  E. 
Stuart,  is  of  especial  value  to  the  pharmacist. 
Mededeelingen  uiT  's  lands  PIvANTKntuin.  Eerste  Verslag  van  het 
Onderzoek  naar  de  plantenstoffen  van  Nederlandsch-Indie  door  M.  Greshoff. 
Communications  from  the  Government  Botanical  Gardens  Buitenzorg.  First 
report  onthe  active  principles  of  plants  growing  in  Dutch  East  India.    By  M. 
Greshoff.  Batavia,  1890.    Part  VII. 
The  subject  matter  is  as  follows: 
I   On  carpaine  (an  alkaloid;  yield  0.25  per  cent,  of  the  dried  young  leaves). 
— This  is  not  the  peptogenic  principle  of  Wuertz  and  Bouchut— it  is 
chiefly  found  in  the  parenchyma  of  the  leaves,  but  in  very  minute  quanti- 
ties in  other  parts  of  the  plant.    Physiologically  it  appears  to  act  on  the 
heart,  but  does  not  seem  to  be  very  poisonous — a  toad  requires  about 
10-15  mgm.    Greshoff  recommends  for  medicinal  use  the  hydrochlorate, 
which  contains  82  per  cent,  of  the  alkaloid. 
II.  First  contribution  to  the  pharmacological  chemistry  of  Leguminosae, 
growing  in  Dutch  East  India.    Derris ;  Pachyrhizus  ;  Sophora ;  Ery- 
thrina ;   Cassia;   Crotalaria ;   Millettia ;  Acacia;  Albizzia ;  Pithe- 
colobium,  species.    (Derrid;  Pachyrhizid;  Sophorin;  Erythrine,  etc.) 
III.  Apocynese  of  Dutch  East  India,  containing  alkaloids.  Melodinus ; 
Leuconotis  ;  Rauwolfia  ;  Hunteria  ;  Pseudochrosia  ;  Ochrosia  ;  Kopsia  ; 
Vinca  ;  Alstonia  ;  Voacanga  ;  Tabernamontana  ;  Rhynchodia  ;  Chone- 
morpha. 
IV.  Cerbera  Odollam. 
V.  Laurotetanine  found  in  Litsaea  ;  Tetr  anther  a  ;  Haasia  ;  Notaphczbe  ; 
Aperula  Actinodaphne  ;  Hernandia  ;  ILligera  ;  Gyrocarpus  ;  Cassytha 
VI.  Plants  of  Dutch  East  India,  containing  Hydrocyanic  acid  : 
(1)  Containing  amy gdalin.    Gymnema  ;  Pygeum. 
(2)  Not  containing  amygdalin.  Lasia ;  Pangium ;  Hydnocarpus. 
Gymnema  latifolia  contains  laurocerasine  ;  the  first  time  this  principle 
has  been  found  in  a  plant  not  belonging  to  Amygdaleae  (Gymnema  is  an 
Asclepiadaceae)  100  gm.  fresh  (?)  leaves  yielded  0*354  gm.  AgCN. 
Dried  in  an  exsiccator  the  leaves  yielded  no  oil  of  bitter  almond,  even 
after  months,  on  distilling  with  water,  but  quite  a  quantity  after  addi- 
tion of  emulsin. 
Pygeum  parviflorum  and  lati folium.  The  fresh  bark  of  latifolium  yielded 
a  distillate,  containing  suff.  HCN  to  form  89  mgm.  AgCN  from  100  gm.  The 
fresh  leaves  yielded  31  mgm.  AgCN  =  0*006  per  cent.  HCN. 
100  gm.  fresh  bark  of  parviflorum  yielded  98  mgm.  AgCN  =  0*02  per  cent. 
HCN. 
Lasia  Laureiro  {Aroidece).  On  macerating  freshly  powdered  spadix  twenty- 
four  hours  with  1  p.  c.  sulphuric  acid  water,  and  distilling  with  the  usual  pre- 
cautions, Greshoff  obtained  from  100  gm.  about  0*047  gm-  AgCN.  But  on 
distilling  the  finely  powdered  spadix  without  previous  maceration  and  without 
adding  acid,  he  obtained  nearly  double  the  quantity  ;  probabl}'  still  more  is 
originally  contained  in  the  spadix,  a  part  of  the  hydrocyanic  acid  being  neces- 
sarily dissipated  by  the  heat  (300  C.)  necessary  to  drying  it,  previous  to  the 
