Amj^ne?i9ohiarm'}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  301 
pleasant  taste  and  with  no  odor.  It  gave  reactions  with  the  usual 
alkaloidal  precipitants  and  likewise  responded  to  the  common  color 
tests.  It  possesses  alkaline  reaction  and  assayed  to  the  formula 
C10H18N2O.  From  the  leaves  was  also  obtained  an  interesting  rub- 
ber-like product,  melting  at  120°,  dissolving  in  carbon  disulphide  and 
other  caoutchouc  solvents  and  also  vulcanizing.  It  analyzed  to  the 
formula  C10H17O.  There  was  also  isolated  from  the  leaves  consider- 
able tannin,  seemingly  representative  of  both  the  iron  green  and 
iron  blue  classes.  Lastly  was  obtained  mannite  and  an  ethereal  oil 
lighter  than  water,  and  smelling  like  tea.  The  ash  of  the  leaves, 
1 1 '59  Per  cent,  consisted  of  magnesium,  calcium,  iron,  chlorine,  sul- 
phates and  carbonates. 
The  seeds  of  the  plant  on  extraction  with  petroleum  ether  yielded 
50  per  cent,  of  fixed  oil.  H.  V.  A. 
CASCARA  AND  ITS  ADULTERANTS. 
A  form  of  adulteration  of  cascara  sagrada  not  likely  to  be  met 
with  in  this  country  is  reported  from  France  (E.  Perrot,  J.  Ph.  etCh., 
1901,  161).  It  is  the  addition  of  buckthorn  bark,  and  the  article 
deals  with  the  pharmacognosy  of  the  two  drugs  in  the  form  of  pow- 
der, the  conclusions  being  that  the  chief  difference  between  buck- 
thorn and  cascara  sagrada  is  that  the  former  never  contains  sclerotic 
cells  (a  characteristic  of  the  latter),  and  is  always  of  a  red-brown 
color  rather  than  a  yellow-brown.  H.  V.  A. 
CHEMISTRY  OF  FRESH  KOLA  NUTS. 
The  reason  of  the  superiority  of  the  fresh  kola  nut  over  the  dried 
is  explained  as  due  to  the  fact  that  kola  contains  an  oxidizing  fer- 
ment which  utilizes  the  oxygen  of  the  air  in  converting  the  kola 
alkaloids  as  well  as  the  coloring  matter  into  insoluble  forms.  This 
is  in  line  with  the  recent  investigation  on  the  so-called  oxydases,  the 
careful  study  of  which  is  certain  of  explaining  many  of  the  causes  of 
deterioration  now  unknown.  Thus,  it  is  stated  that  the  darkening 
of  all  fruit  on  drying,  and  also  the  relative  inferiority  of  a  dried  fruit 
to  a  fresh  one,  is  due  to  the  presence  of  such  oxidizing  ferments, 
which  produce  a  chemical  change  on  all  fruit  exposed  to  the 
air.  Fresh  kola  nuts  contain  a  normal  and  soluble  alkaloid,  called 
kolanine,  which  under  the  influence  of  the  oxidizing  ferment  is 
decomposed  or  rendered  insoluble.    Sugar,  however,  prevents  such 
