i68 
Varieties. 
Am,  Jour.  Pharir. 
Mar.,  1880. 
sider  this  view  untenable,  and  have  prepared  large  quantities  of  protagon  from  the 
brain  of  oxen,  horses  and  dogs  by  a  modification  of  Liebreich's  process.  Its  formula 
appears  to  be  C^ggHgogNgPOg^,  It  is  a  white  body,  permanent  in  the  air,  crystallizing 
when  heated  with  alcohol  to  45°C.,  turning  brown  at  i5o°C.  and  melting  at  about 
20o°C.  to  a  brown  syrup.  On  being  continuously  boiled  with  ether  it  is  decomposed. 
The  chemical  constitution  of  Cerebrin,  freed  from  lecithin  and  cholesterin, 
and  crystallized  from  alcohol,  was  studied  by  Geoghegan,  who  found  as  the  average 
result  of  different  analyses :  687  per  cent.  C,  10-9  per  cent.  H  and  1*5  percent. 
N.  By  the  action  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  on  cerebrin  a  substance  melting 
at  62  to  65°,  and  containing  no  nitrogen,  was  obtained,  which  the  author  calls  Cety- 
lid,  This  is  insoluble  in  water,  very  soluble  in  ether,  chloroform  and  hot 
alcohol,  and  is  transformed  into  palmitic  acid,  liberating  hydrogen  and  marsh  gas,  by 
the  action  of  melting  caustic  potassa.  The  yield  of  cetylid  amounts  to  about  85 
per  cent,  of  the  cerebrin.  As  another  result  of  the  action  of  sulphuric  acid  on  cere- 
brin, an  acid  is  obtained  which  is  soluble  in  water,  reduces  alkaline  copper  solution 
and  rotates  the  plane  of  polarized  light  towards  the  left. — Ber.  d.  Deutsch.  Chem. 
Ges.y  xii,  1879,  P-  2250,  from  Ztschr.J.  Phys.  Chem, 
Chaulmoogra  Oil. — John  Moss  found  it  to  be  a  mixture  of  the  glyceryl  com- 
pounds of  about  2*3  per  cent,  cocinic  acid,  4  percent,  hypogaeic  acid,  63  per  cent, 
palmitic  acid  and  1 1-7  per  cent,  gynocardic  acid,  the  two  last  acids  being  partly 
present  in  the  free  state.  Gynocardic  acid  has  probably  the  formula  Cj^H^^O^,  is  of 
a  pale  yellow  color,  crystalline,  produces  the  acrid  burning  taste,  which  is  noticed 
when  chaulmoogra  is  swallowed,  and  gives  a  splendid  green  color  with  sulphuric 
acid. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans. ^  Sept.  27,  1879. 
Porpoise  oil  is  manufactured  largely  in  Provincetown,  Mass.  Since  about  the 
year  1816  it  was  obtained  from  the  porpoise,  the  best  being  derived  from  the  jaw- 
bone j  it  is  admirably  adapted  for  oiling  watches,  clocks,  philosophical  apparatus,  etc. 
Since  1829  the  black  fish  has  also  been  used  for  producing  this  oil,  a  superior  lubri- 
cating oil  being  obtained  from  the  melon,  which  is  taken  from  the  top  of  the  head, 
reaching  from  the  spout-hole  to  the  end  of  the  nose  and  down  to  the  upper  jaw,  and 
when  taken  off"  in  one  piece  has  the  shape  of  a  half  watermelon,  weighs  about  25 
pounds  and  yields  about  6  quarts  of  oil.  After  it  has  been  refined  it  will  become 
somewhat  milky  at  zero,  but  will  not  congeal. 
The  oil  from  the  melon  of  the  cowfish  or  grampus  is  of  a  very  yellow  color,  and 
when  refined  by  chilling  and  straining  appears  to  have  valuable  lubricating  proper- 
ties.— Scient.  Amer  ,  Feb.  21. 
Porpoise  oil  is  beginning  to  form  an  article  of  export  from  Trebizond,  in  Asia 
Minor.  The  porpoises  are  caught  in  nets  and  are  also  shot  by  expert  marksmen. 
As  much  as  300  pounds  of  oil  is  occasionally  obtained  from  a  single  animal,  and, 
in  spite  of  its  strong  smell,  it  was  generally  used  for  lamps  before  the  introduction 
of  petroleum. — Jour.  Appl.  Science^  February. 
The  origin  of  balsamum  antarthriticum  indicum  (see  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.," 
1878,  p.  475)  is  referred  by  Dr.  Mathes  to  Eper^va  falcata,  a  tree  of  French  Guia- 
