Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
February,  1921.  ) 
Current  Literature, 
!53 
animal  on  a  full  stomach  a  small  quantity  of  yew  may  cause  little  or 
no  dangerous  results.  The  poisonous  principle  is  generally  con- 
sidered to  be  taxine,  an  alkaloid  having  the  composition  C7H52NOK). 
It  is  a  question,  however,  whether  it  is  the  only  poisonous  constitu- 
ent. The  yew  is  irritant  and  narcotic,  and  the  poison  is  not  cumu- 
lative, but,  on  the  other  hand,  rapidly  effective,  so  that  animals  may 
die  apparently  suddenly,  no  previous  symptoms  having  been  ob- 
served. In  an  interesting  illustrated  article  entitled  "Poisonous 
Berries,"  by  E.  M.  Holmes,  F.  L.  S. ;  which  appeared  in  the  P.  J. 
of  November  20,  19 15,  page  638,  it  is  shown  under  what  conditions 
the  leaves  or  fruit  may  be  poisonous  or  not.  (From  The  Pharm. 
Jour,  and  Pharmacist,  Sept.  4,  1920.) 
Poisoning  by  Fluorin  Compounds. — Kockel  and  Zimmer- 
man report  two  cases  of  poisoning  from  hydrofluoric  acid.  The 
clinical  picture  was  characterized  by  marked  physical  weakness 
and  frequent  vomiting.  The  course  of  the  intoxication  was  very 
rapid,  covering  not  much  more  than  two  hours  before  the  fatal 
issue.  One  case  was  traced  to  rat  poison  and  is  regarded  as  a 
suicide;  the  other  was  a  criminal  poisoning  case.  (From  Munchener 
medizinische  Wochenschrift,  Munich,  through  Jour.  Amer.  Med. 
Assoc.,  Nov.  6,  1920.) 
MEDICAL  AND  PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES 
Ursone  in  Ericaceous  Plants. — The  author  has  examined 
a  number  of  plants  belonging  to  the  natural  order  Ericaceae  for 
ursone  and  found  it  in  all  of  them ;  hence  he  concludes  that  it  is  of 
general  occurrence  in  Ericaceae.  The  best  method  of  isolating  it 
is  that  of  Dodge  (Jour.  Amer.  Chem.  Soc,  40,  p.  12).  It  was 
identified  by  ultimate  analysis  and  also  by  the  following  color  reac- 
tions:  (1)  With  sulphuric  acid  it  gives  an  orange-yellow  liquid 
with  a  green  fluorescence;  (2)  a  little  dissolved  in  2  c.  c.  of  acetic 
anhydride  gives  with  8  or  10  drops  of  sulphuric  acid  a  red  colora- 
tion passing  to  violet,  green,  and  blue;  (3)  a  little  dissolved  in 
chloroform,  and  shaken  with  an  equal  volume  of  sulphuric  acid, 
colors  the  latter  yellow.  Ursone  was  also  found  in  holly,  mate, 
and  the  leaves  of  two  other  species  of  Ilex.  It  crystallizes  in  white 
needles,  melting  at  273  °.    One  gm.  is  soluble  in  178  gms.  of  ethyl 
