368 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica. 
/Am. Jour  Pharm, 
1      July,  1883. 
Strophantus  hispid  US.  8.  Aj^ocynin,  almost  insoluhle  in  water;  from 
the  root  of  Apocynum  cannabinum. 
III.  Glucosides  not  crystallizable^  very  sparingly  soluble  in  water : 
9.  Scillain,  from  the  bulb  of  Urginea  Scilla.  10.  Adonidin,  from 
Adonis  vernalis.    11.  Oleandrin,  from  the  leaves  of  Nerium  Oleander. 
IV.  Amorphous  glucosides,  very  soluble  in  water,  resembling  sapo- 
nin :  12.  Digitalein,  from  the  fruit  and  probably  other  parts  of  Digi- 
talis purpurea.  13.  Neriin,  probably  identical  with  digitalein,  from 
the  leaves  of  Nerium  Oleander.  14.  Apocynein,  from  the  root  of 
Apocynum  cannabium.  15.  Convallamarin,  very  like  digitalein  from 
Convallaria  majalis. 
V.  Parts  of  plants  not  previously  investigated.  16.  Tanghinia 
venenifera,  the  fruit.  17.  Neriodorin  and  neriodorein^  from  the  bark 
of  Nerium  odorum.  18.  Upas  of  Singapore,  contains,  besides  a  strych- 
naceous  principle,  a  principle  which  acts  like  antiarin. 
VI.  Substances  which  besides  other  actions,  possess  the  action  of 
digitalin  :  19.  ErythropMoein,  freely  soluble  in  water ;  from  sassy  bark 
Ei'ythrophloeum  guineense.  20.  Phrynin,  from  the  glandular  secretion 
aud  dried  skin  of  the  toad,  Bufo  viridis  and  B.  cinereus. — London 
Med.  Record. 
Minjah-Lagam  or  Lagctm- Balsam,  according  to  Dr.  De  Vrij,  was 
first  introduced  into  Rotterdam  in  1854,  from  Padang  in  Sumatra.  It 
closely  remembles  copaiba  in  appearance,  and  yields  a  considerable 
amount  of  levogyre  volatile  oil  boiling  between  245°  and  252°C,  the 
boiling  point  rising  finally  to  290°.  The  resin  is  dextrogyre  and  on 
treatment  with  nitric  acid  yields  an  uncrystallizable  very  bitter  sub- 
stance. The  plant  from  which  it  is  derived  is  unknown  ;  it  appears 
that  the  oleo resin  varies  somewhat  in  its  properties. 
G.  Haussner  examined  a  lagam-balsam,  which  was  a  thick  liquid,  of 
a  peculiar  aromatic  odor  and  a  bitterish,  lastingly  acrid  taste.  In 
reflected  light  it  was  of  a  dingy  green,  in  transmitted  light  yellowish 
and  transparent ;  its  solutions  were  likewise  fluorescent.  It  was  readily 
and  completely  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether,  benzol,  chloroform,  and  carbon 
disulphide.  Mixed  with  strong  sulphuric  acid,  sulphurous  acid  was 
given  off  and  the  color  changed  to  purplish  red,  brown,  and  black. 
On  distillation  with  water  about  33  per  ct.  of  volatile  oil  was  obtained, 
which  on  rectification  in  carbonic  acid  gas,  boiled  betwe'en  249°  and 
251°,  was  colorless,  levogyre  9'9°,  and  possessed  a  not  disagreeable 
aromatic  odor  and  burning  taste  ;  on  oxidation  it  became  yellow.  From 
