Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
July,  1883  ) 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica. 
369 
the  ultimate  analysis  and  the  density  of  its  vapor,  its  composition  was 
determined  to  be  C20H32.  A  crystalline  compound  of  the  formula 
C20H324HCI  was  obtained  on  treating  the  oil  with  dry  hydrochloric 
acid  gas. 
The  resin  was  inodorous,  hard,  yellow,  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether. 
A  portion  of  it  is  soluble  in  potassa  solution  and  yields  a  copper  salt 
having  the  formula  C7EI12O3CU.  The  portion  insoluble  in  alkali  was 
treated  with  melted  potassium  hydrate,  when  butyric,  acetic,  and  formic 
acids  were  obtained  ;  also  phenols  or  aromatic  acids  which  could  not  be 
determined  for  want  of  material. 
Minjak-lagam  balsam  evidently  shows  considerable  analogy  to  both 
copaiba  and  gurjun  balsam,  and  differs  from  the  latter  mainly  by  the 
resin-acid,  which  could  not  be  crystallized. — Archiv  d.  Phar.,  April, 
1883,  241-255. 
The  active  jy'i'inciple  y^f  Flscidia  JErythrina  or  Jamaica  dogwood,  has 
been  isolated  by  Edward  Hart.  A  pound  of  the  fluid  extract  was  well 
mixed  with  30  grams  of  quicklime  previously  made  into  a  thick  paste 
with  water ;  after  digesting  for  half  an  hour  the  liquid  was  filtered, 
and  water  was  added  to  the  filtrate  until  it  became  slighty  turbid ;  after 
2  or  3  days  crystals  of  the  principle,  for  which  the  name  piscidin  is 
proposed,  separated  accompanied  with  resinous  substance.  By  adding 
more  water  a  second  crop  of  crystals  still  more  impure  can  be  separa- 
ted. The  crystals  are  purified  by  recrystallization  from  alcohol.  The 
resinous  matter  precipitated  by  water  retains  a  small  portion  of  pisci- 
din, of  which,  the  author  thinks  a  pound  of  the  fluid  extract  contains 
about  one  gram. 
Elementary  analysis  led  to  the  formula  C29H240g.  Piscidin  crystal- 
lizes in  nearly  colorless  prisms,  melts  at  192°C.,  is  insoluble  in  water, 
slightly  soluble  in  cold,  much  more  in  boiling  alcohol,  slightly  soluble 
in  ether,  easily  soluble  in  benzene  and  chloroform.  It  dissolves  in  cold 
concentrated  hydrochloric  acid,  and  is  reprecipitated  apparently  un- 
changed, by  dilution  with  water.  It  dissolves  in  cold  sulphuric  acid, 
and  separates  again  by  addition  of  water,  but  it  dissolves  no  longer  easily 
in  alcohol.  Boiling  with  acids  causes  no  separation  of  sugar.  The 
alcoholic  solution  is  neutral  to  testpaper,  and  not  precipitated  by  acetate 
of  lead. — Amer.  Chem.  Jour.,  April,  1883,  39. 
The  coloring  matter  of  black  grapes  and  red  wine,  according  to  E.  J. 
Maumene,  is  produced  by  the  oxidation  and  probably  hydration  of  a 
colorless  compound.    When  the  berries  just  beginning  to  turn  red  are 
24 
