^'"seprissT"'"}  Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica.  469 
the  preceding.  By  following  the  process  given  in  outline  above,  and 
treating  the  ether-alcoholic  extract  with  warm  dilute  sulphuric  acid, 
the  odor  of  ericinol  was  observed,  and  the  presence  of  ericolin  shown 
in  uva  ursi  and  29  other  ericacese— namely,  6  species  of  Erica,  10  of 
Rhododendron,  3  of  Vacchiium,  3  of  Azalea,  in  Gaultheria  Shallon, 
Piorsh,  Clethra  arborea,  Eriodictyon  gliitinosum,  Epigsea  repeus  and 
Ledum  latifolium.  The  last  two  species  and  the  rhododendrons  gave 
the  strongest  odor  of  ericinol. 
The  lead  precipitate  mentioned  above  contains  leditannic  acid, 
O15H20O8,  which,  in  addition  to  the  properties  described  by  Willigk 
(1852)  was  found  to  have  a  distinctly  acid  reaction  and  acidulous  as- 
tringent taste ;  it  dissolves  with  difficulty  in  ether,  more  readily  in  acetic 
acid,  and  its  aqueous  solution  precipitates  cinchonine  sulphate,  dingy 
flesh-colored  ;  lead  acetate,  light  yellow  ;  tartar  emetic,  brown  ;  copper 
acetate,  brown-black.  Gelatin  causes  a  copious  precipitate,  and  silver 
nitrate  is  i^educed.  By  dilute  mineral  acid  it  is  split  into  water  and 
ledixanthin,  C^o^sflis  >  the  latter  is  brown-red,  sparingly  soluble  in 
water,  and  freely  soluble  in  alcohol  before  drying. 
The  author  prepared  also  callutannic  acid,  which  resembles  the 
above,  but  yields  with  gelatin  only  a  turbidity.  He  instituted  also 
comparative  experiments  with  pinipicrin,  and  confirmed  its  close 
resemblance  to  ericolin,  which  had  already  been  observed  by  Kawa- 
lier  (1852),  but  could  not  prove  the  identity  of  the  two  compounds. — 
Phar.  Zeit.  RussL,  1883,  No.  14-18. 
Oil  of  Angelica  Boot  has  been  examined  by  Naudin.  About  one- 
half  of  the  oil  distils  between  163°  and  167°  C,  25  per  cent,  between 
167°  and  330°  C;  the  remainder  distils  with  difficulty,  and  the  boiling 
point  rises  with  each  distillation.  By  fractional  distillation  in  vacuo 
75  per  cent,  of  the  oil  is  obtained  as  a  colorless  oil,  which  is  not  altered 
in  the  light,  has  a  faint  pepper-like  odor,  boils  at  166°  C  ,  has  the 
density  '870  at  0°C.,  and  rotates  polarized  light  +  5°  39\  Heated 
to  100°  C,  the  oil  is  not  altered,  but  at  160°  C.  it  gradually  becomes 
thick.  The  author  proposes  to  call  it  ^terebangelene. — See  also  Am. 
Jour.  Fhar.,  1882,  p.  159. — Rundschau,  June  20,  1883  ;  Compt.  Bend.y 
96,  p.  1152. 
/Saponin,  which  was  discovered  by  Schrader  (1809)  in  the  root  of 
Saponaria  officinalis,  has  been  prepared  by  Dr.  E.  Stuetz  from  quillaia 
bark  by  boiling  the  aqueous  extract  with  alcohol.  The  yield  was  2 
per  cent.    Saponin  is  a  white  amorphous  powder,  of  neutral  reaction, 
