Am  jour  Pharm. >     Salicin  Content  of  British  Willows.  619 
Sept.,  1921.       1  J 
a  view  to  ascertaining  the  relation  between  the  soil  and  climate  of 
the  Province  and  the  percentage  of  drug  produced  by  the  plant,  and 
also  to  experiment  on  the  effect  of  various  fertilizers  in  relation  to 
the  size  of  the  crop  and  percentage  of  drug.  Among  the  subjects  to 
be  investigated  in  the  near  future  are :  Cascara  sagrada  from  Rham- 
nus  Purshiana,  atropine  from  Atropa  Belladonna,  stramonium  from 
Datura  Stramonium,  aconite  from  Aconitum  napellus,  digitalis 
from  Digitalis  purpurea,  oil  of  spearmint,  oil  of  peppermint  and  oil 
of  Monarda  Fistulosa.  These  investigations  will  be  carried  on 
jointly  by  the  Departments  of  Botany  and  Chemistry. 
There  are  several  reasons  why  such  an  industry  might  thrive 
within  the  Province ;  we  have  a  large  number  of  plants  indigenous  to 
the  Province  which  are  known  to  yield  oils  and  other  drugs  of  eco- 
nomic value;  we  have  climates  and  soils  of  so  varied  a  nature  that 
it  is  possible  to  find  localities  suited  to  the  cultivation  of  such  plants ; 
there  is  a  large  demand  for  soap,  pomades  and  similar  perfumed 
products  in  the  Oriental  markets,  easily  accessible  from  the  western 
coast.  There  is  no  doubt  that  many  of  the  plants  adapted  to  a  tem- 
perate climate  could  be  grown  somewhere  within  the  Province.  The 
chief  questions,  arise  in  connection  with  a  precise  choice  of  locality 
and  the  cost  of  production,  and  this  again  would  depend  on  the  cost 
of  cultivation  and  also  on  the  quality  and  quantity  of  the  drugs  which 
could  be  obtained.  Such  questions  can  only  be  answered  by  experi- 
ment. 
SALICIN. 
Salicin  [ortho-hydroxy-benzyl-glucoside,  C6H4(OC6H1105)- 
CH2(OH)],  was  one  of  the  first  natural  glucosides  to  be  discovered. 
It  occurs  in  most,  but  not  all,  species  of  willow  and  poplar  bark.  It 
is  hydrolysed  by  mineral  acids  and  by  emulsin  of  almonds,  to  dex- 
trose and  o-hydroxy-benzyl  alcohol.  As  determined  by  this  enzyme 
action,  salicin  must  be  a  glucoside.1  Populin,  another  glucoside,  also 
occurs  in  the  leaves  and  bark  of  poplars.  It  is  not,  however,  hydro- 
lysed by  emulsin  of  almonds.2  On  the  other  hand,  it  may  be, hydro- 
lysed by  barium  hydrate  to  benzoic  acid  and  salicin.  Salinigrin,  a 
third  glucoside,  has  been  found  in  only  one  species  of  willow,  Salix 
discolor.3  Helicin,  a  glucoside  isomeric  with  salicin  does  not  occur 
naturally. 
1  Fischer,  .Zeit.  Physiol.  Chem.,  26,  61,  1898. 
2  Allen's  Comm.  Organ  c  Analysis,  vol.  7,  p.  ico. 
3Jowett  &  Potter,  Trans.  Chem.  Soc,  77,  707,  1900. 
