196 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica. 
(  Am.  .lonr.  Pharm 
1      April,  1883. 
nally,  small  portions  of  the  outer  bark  still  adhering.  Its  taste  is 
sweetish,  then  persistently  bitter  and  astringent.  On  mastication  it  is 
found  to  be  gritty  and  tinges  the  saliva  red.  It  is  inodorous,  has  a 
short  fibrous  fracture,  and  shows  upon  the  resinous  cross  section  numer- 
ous resin  cells  and  numerous  shining  specks  which  proved  to  be  crystals 
of  calcium  oxalate.  A  chemical  examination  proved  the  presence  of  6 
per  cent,  of  resin,  soluble  in  alcohol,  red  coloring  matter  and  other 
common  constituents,  but  failed  to  reveal  the  presence  of  an  alkaloid. 
The  ash  amounted  to  8  per  cent. — Ibid,  p.  51. 
Andromeda  japonica,  Thimhirg.  —  A  poisonous  principle,  named 
andromedin,  has  been  isolated  from  this  plant  by  P.  C.  Plugge  ;  it  is 
resinous,  nearly  insoluble  in  petroleum-benzin,  absolute  ether  and  car- 
bon bisulphide,  slightly  soluble  in  benzol,  glycerin  and  oil  of  turpen- 
tine, soluble  in  water,  and  freely  soluble  in  chloroform,  alcohol,  amyl- 
alcohol,  glacial  acetic  acid  and  alkalies;  its  aqueous  solution  has  a 
faint  acid  reaction,  and  is  not  precipitated  by  lead  acetate  or  subacetate. 
—Archiv  d.  Phar.,  1883,  Jan.,  p.  1-16. 
Probably  the  same  principle,  which,  however,  yields  a  flocculent 
precipitate  with  lead  subacetate,  has  been  named  asehotoxin  by  J.  F- 
Eijkman,  and  is  obtained  by  agitating  the  concentrated  aqueous  infu- 
sion of  the  plant  with  chloroform,  precipitating  the  chloroformic  solu- 
tion with  petroleum-benzin,  and  purifying  the  precipitate  by  dissolving 
in  alcoholic  ether,  agitating  with  water  and  evaporating  the  latter  solu- 
tion. Asebotoxin  is  colorless,  glass-like,  soft  at  100°  C,  melts  at  120°, 
is  freely  soluble  in  warm  water,  in  alcohol,  chloroform  and  amylic 
alcohol,  and  less  freely  soluble  in  potassa  solution  than  in  ammonia 
and  pure  acetic  acid.  It  is  slightly  soluble  in  pure  ether,  and  almost 
insoluble  in  benzol,  petroleum-benzin  and  carbon  bisulphide.  The 
aqueous  solution  has  a  neutral  reaction,  and  is  not  precipitated  by  ferric 
chloride,  cupric  sulphate,  mercuric  chloride,  auric  chloride,  argentic 
nitrate  or  plumbic  acetate.  When  boiled  with  diluted  hydrochloric 
acid,  a  resinous  body  separates  and  the.  filtrate  yields,  with  alkaline 
copper  solution,  a  copious  precipitate  of  cuprous  hydrate.  Asebotoxin 
acquires  a  beautiful  blue  color  when  moistened  with  hydrochloric  acid, 
the  color  changing  to  violet-red  when  heated  in  a  water-bath.  Diluted 
sulphuric  acid  colors  it  red,  changing  to  rose  color,  at  the  same  time 
separating  a  blueish-gray  substance.  The  lethal  dose  for  rabbits  is 
003  gm.  of  asebotoxin  or  an  infusion  of  '2  gm.  of  the  leaves. —  Chem, 
CentralbL,  1883,  p.  72;  Phar,  Weekblad,  Oct.  1,  1882. 
