338 BUHACHIRO TASAKI AND USHIO TANAKA 
In the flower of Robinia pseudacacia a glucoside named robinin! (C,; Hy Oj. 
+51H,O) was found. It is a fine, yellowish, needle-like crystal, melting at 
195°C. and dissolves a little in cold, but easily in boiling water as well as in 
boiling alcohol, with yellow colour. When boiled with dilute acids, it decom- 
poses into isoduleit and quercetin. 
According to ZAPEL,’ the symptoms of intoxication by the bark are very 
complex. Horses show constipation, staring eyes, acceleration of pulsation and 
respiration and hyperemy of visible mucous membranes. At the first stage 
of the intoxication, the hind part of the body becomes weak, but later paralytic. 
In the post mortem examination, the liquefaction of intestinal content, hypersemy 
of intestinal mucous membranes, remarkable lung cedema and incomplete coagu- 
lation of blood are observed. By the hypodermic injection of robin, rabbits 
suffer from nephritis with thoracic and abdominal exudation, and protein, 
cylinder and blood in urine are proved. In 1916, an experimental study on 
Robinia bark with horses was given in the “ Rikugun-Jüi-Dampö ” (Journal 
of the Military Veterinary Corps in Japan) No. 81. As result, the fol- 
lowing symptoms are recorded: (1) dyspnoea, (2) colic, (3) fatigue, (4) hyper- 
my of visible mucous membranes, (5) diarrhoea, (6) pupillary dilatation and 
(7) secretion of sweat. And post mortem examination shows (1) hemorrhagia 
eerebri, (2) hypersemia et emphysema pulmonum, (3) dilatatio cordis et 
endocarditis chronica, (4) enteritis catarrhalis and (5) nephritis parenchy- 
matosa. 
As the locust tree is much cultivated in Japan and her colonies, we 
emsidered it to be very important for veterinary hygiene to investigate the 
toxiv properties of its bark. After carrying out a brief experiment, we were 
able to isolate a new toxic constituent belonging to the glucosides. It may 
not be very pure as we have not yet succeeded in crystallising it, but for 
convenience of explanation, we venture to propose aname for it, viz. ‘ Robitin,’ 
and in the following we give the results so far obtained from the study 
of it. 
1. Scumrpt, Pharmazeutische Chemie II. 
2. Koxert, Lehrbuch der Intoxikation II, 1906. 
