Am'AnlT;imaTm'}  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  311 
and  boiling  water,  much  less  in  cold  water  and  ether.  Although 
free  from  nitrogen,  formula  C33H30Ou,  it  gave  precipitates  with  tan- 
nin, Mayer's  reagent,  iodine,  phospho-molybdate  of  sodium,  and 
bismuth-potassium  iodide ;  auric  chloride  and  Fehling's  solution  were 
reduced  ;  baryta  and  lime-water,  also  dilute  acids  decomposed  it,  its 
solution  losing  the  bitter  taste.  Its  decomposition  products  are 
an  aldehyde-  and  phenol-like  body,  called  menyanthol  C7Hn02,  a 
resinous  product  and  a  laevogyre  carbohydrate. 
Erythrocentaurin  from  Erythr&a  Centaurium  was  obtained  exactly 
as  above.  This  principle,  except  for  its  color,  which  was  almost 
white,  had  the  same  physical  properties  as  menyanthin ;  it  also 
resembled  it  in  its  behavior  toward  the  alkaloidal  and  decomposing 
reagents  ;  it,  however,  had  the  formula  C9HuO.,  and  in  its  decom- 
position a  dextrogyre  carbohydrate  was  produced. — Karl  Leudrich, 
Arch,  der  Pharm.,  1892,  38  and  48. 
Absinthiin — This  was  prepared  from  the  ethereal  extract  by 
agitation  with  water,  this  solution  purified  by  agitation  with 
freshly-precipitated  aluminium  hydrate,  and  extracting  the  bitter 
principle  by  agitation  with  ether,  evaporating  and  drying  over 
sulphuric  acid  ;  the  aqueous  solution  can  also  be  evaporated  in 
vacuo.  Absinthiin  is  amorphous,  forming  a  pale-yellow  powder  of 
intensely  bitter  taste  ;  it  melts  at  65 0  C,  has  the  formula  C15H20O4, 
and  is  soluble  in  water,  alcohol  and  ether.  It  is  a  glucoside,  being 
decomposed  by  boiling  with  water  and  dilute  acids  into  dextrose, 
a  volatile  constituent  (volatile  oil)  and  into  a  solid  resinous  sub- 
stance belonging  to  the  aromatic  series,  having  probably  the 
formula  C21H2606  and  reacting  like  an  oxyacid. — O.  Senger,  Arch, 
der  Pharm.,  1 892,  94. 
ABSTRACTS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
-  Translated  for  The  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Action  of  Hydrocyanic  Acid  on  Calomel. — Cheynet  (L  Union  pharm., 
1892,  153)  endeavored  to  determine  the  cause  of  the  toxicity  of 
this  mixture.  It  is  known  that  on  mixing  these  two  compounds, 
a  certain  quantity  of  mercury  is  liberated,  and  the  liquid  becomes 
decidedly  acid.  Scheele  explained  the  greater  toxicity  of  the  mix- 
ture by  assuming  the  formation  of  mercury  cyanide  ;  this,  however, 
was  contradicted  by  Bussy  and  Buignet,  who  distilled  the  mixture 
