(2y6  Biochemical  Method  Investigation.  { A^J°^r'1^1arm' 
The  pathology  of  all  these  organs  was  investigated  and  the  results 
are  reported. 
Experiments  indicated  that  the  plant  is  not  a  cumulative  poison 
and  that  no  tolerance  is  developed  by  repeated  small  doses.  The 
leaves  are  the  more  toxic  portion  of  the  plant. 
The  chemical  examination  of  the  plant  revealed  the  presence 
of  several  toxic  substances  which  were  submitted  to  pharmacologi- 
cal tests.  The  substance  which  produces  the  characteristic  spasms 
of  range  poisoning  is  a  non-glucosidic  resin  soluble  in  alcohol  and 
most  organic  solvents  but  insoluble  in  water,  acids,  and  alkalies. 
Two  well-defined  glucosides  are  present,  both  of  which  have  a 
narcotic  action.  This  action  does  not  appear  in  the  range  cases 
because  the  amount  of  the  glucosides  is  too  small  to  exert  a  notice- 
able effect  over  the  spasmodic  toxin.  Other  constituents  which 
were  found  are  fats,  a  phytosterol,  an  orange-red  coloring  matter, 
resin  acids,  a  non-toxic  alkaloid,  and  sugars,  one  of  which  yields 
dextrosazone  while  the  other  appears  to  be  maltose. 
RESULTS  ATTAINED  BY  THE  BIOCHEMICAL  METHOD 
IN  THE  INVESTIGATION  OF  PLANT  GLUCOSIDES  * 
By  E.  Bourquelot. 
In  1 90 1,  when  the  author  first  introduced  the  biochemical 
method  for  detecting  the  presence  of  glucosides  in  plant  tissue,  the 
number  of  known  glucosides  which  were  hydrolyzed  by  emulsin 
was  limited  to  ten.  These  were  salicin,  amygdalin,  sesculin,  syrin- 
gin,  arbutin  contaminated  with  methylarbutin,  coniferin,  gentio- 
picrin,  salicinerein,  and  piccin.  By  means  of  the  biochemical  method 
the  following  fourteen  new  glucosides  have  been  added  to  this 
group  in  the  years  indicated:  aucubin,  1902;  sambunigrin  and 
prulaurasin,  1905 ;  jasmiflorin,  1906;  bakankosin  and  taxactin,  1907; 
verbenalin,  aleuropein  and  erytaurin,  1908;  true  arbutin,  1910; 
meliatin,  191 1;  hepatrilobin,  1912;  loroglossin,  1919;  and  scabio- 
sin,  1920.  Besides  these,  the  new  polysaccharide,  verbascose,  was 
incidentally  found  in  mullein  root.  In  many  instances  these  gluco- 
sides were  found  in  several  different  species,  sometimes  in  families 
*Comptes  rend.,  1920,  171,  423,  through  Pharm.  Jour.  &  Pharmacist, 
Dec.  4,  1920. 
