34^  Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals,  {'^"'Xug'!''i8'75^™' 
digitoxin,  directly  from  the  leaves,  and  found  it  to  constitute  the  prin- 
cipal portion  of  Nativelle's  crystallized  digitalin : 
1.  Digitonin^  ^^^)^b'f^vl')  amorphous  body,  resembling  saponin, 
soluble  in  water,  but  insoluble  in  cold  absolute  alcohol,  ether,  benzol 
and  chloroform  ;  it  yields  the  following  products  of  decomposition  : 
dig'itoresin^  digitone'in^  digitogenin  and  paradigitogenin. 
2.  Digitalin^  C5H3O2  granular,  but  not  crystalline,  insoluble  in  cold, 
soluble  in  boiling  water,  slightly  in  ether  and  chloroform,  but  easily  in 
alcohol,  spirit  of  chloroform  and  diluted  acetic  acid  ;  it  yields  digitali- 
resin. 
3.  Digitalein  was  obtained  as  a  yellowish  mass,  yielding  foaming 
solutions  with  water,  somewhat  soluble  in  chloroform.  When  boiled 
with  diluted  acids,  it  yields  sugar  and  probably  digitaliresin. 
4.  Digitoxin  CjiHgjO^  is  insoluble  in  water  and  benzol,  little  soluble 
in  ether,  freely,  but  rather  slowly,  in  chloroform,  readily  in  absolute 
alcohol.  It  is  not  a  glucoside,  and  is  the  well  crystallizing  principle, 
directly  obtained  from  digitalis.  Its  decomposition  product,  toxiresin^ 
is  readily  soluble  in  ether. — Ibid.^  No.  24,  from  A^.  Repert,  Pharm.^ 
xxiv,  p.  89. 
Adulteration  of  Tea. — The  leaves  of  Epilobium  angustifolium  are  ex- 
tensively used  in  Russia  for  the  adulteration  of  tea.  The  plant  grows 
particularly  in  places  where  the  ground  has  been  burned  over,  and  ex- 
tensive forests  are  sometimes  fired  by  the  peasants,  merely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  a  large  supply  of  the  leaves  for  about  four  or  five 
years,  when  the  soil  will  cease  to  produce  the  plant.  The  dried  leaves 
are  sold  for  from  four  to  six  roubles  a  pud  (40  lbs.),  are  largely  used  in 
Russia  for  the  adulteration,  and,  by  the  poorer  classes,  in  the  place  of 
tea  ;  exhausted  tea-leaves  are  often  mixed  with  these  leaves  and  again 
sold  as  tea.  The  leaves  are  also  exported  for  the  same  purpose.  They 
yield  a  darker  infusion  than  the  same  weight  of  tea-leaves,  and  alcohol 
produces  in  it  a  precipitate  of  mucilage,  while  that  of  tea  remains  clear. 
Softened  by  water  and  unfolded,  they  are  readily  distinguished  from 
tea-leaves. — Zeitschr.  Oesterr.  Apoth.  Ver.  No.  IQ,  from  Phar.  Zeitschr.f 
Puss  land. 
Dangerous  Adulteration  of  Anise. — A  large  quantity  of  anise  from  the 
interior  of  Russia  was  found  to  be  largely  mixed  with  the  fruit  of 
Conium  maculatum :  it  had  been  destined  for  exportation  to  Holland. — 
Ibid..,  from  Ibid.    See,  also,  Amer.  Jour,  Phar..,  1861,  p.  408. 
