plants of Aconitum Fischeri and possibly one or two other species. One of these has yielded Dr. Langgaard a most poisonous crystallizable alkaloid, far exceeding in toxic power both aconitine and pseudaconitine. The same author announces the isolation from Japanese belladonna (Scopolia Japonica) of two distinct alkaloids, rotoine and scopoleine, both of which he describes as similar to atropine in their physiological action. Mr. T. Greenish gives the results of his examination of some samples of Jamaica-grown jalap, showing this drug to contain considerably less resin than the average of good Mexican jalap, and to approach more nearly that grown by Mr. Smith in the Botanical Gardens of Trinity College, Dublin. An examination of a number of commercial specimens of leptandrin, the resin of leptandra root, by Mr. J. U. Lloyd, leads to the inference that the variation in their appearance and properties arises from a different degree of fineness of the powder, and also from actual differences in their composition. Improved formula for the preparation of this resin and of a dry alcoholic extract of the root are given by the same writer. The purification of storax by means of alcohol, as recommended in the British Pharmacopoeia, is described by Dr. J. Biel as a wasteful process, involving the loss of upwards of 30 per cent. of the balsam; while the application of benzol in place of the alcohol is stated to furnish 90 per cent. of a superior product. Mr. A. Janssen supplies a description of the characters of an authentic specimen of Chian turpentine, which is likely to prove valuable to our readers on account of the extensive falsification to which the small yield of this drug and the sudden and quite unforeseen demand for it have given rise. Prof. Flückiger shows the collection of this oleo-resin need not remain confined to the island of Chio, since Pistacia terebinthus grows plentifully in Algeria, and an identical product may also be obtained in abundance from Pistacia atlantica, a tree distributed over the whole of Northern Africa. Meanwhile, the question of the medicinal merits of this drug remains an open one. The value of Mikania Guaco as a remedy for snake bite is confirmed in a communication from New Granada, sent by Mr. R. B. White to the Directors of the Royal Gardens at Kew, in which the writer describes its mode of application, and gives his personal testimony as to its efficacy. The plant is widely diffused in tropical America, and, as shown by Mr. J. G. Baker, is known under a great many different botanical names. The bark of Strychnos Gantheriana, known in Tongkin under the name of hoang-nan, is spoken of as another valuable remedy for snake bite

as well as for hydrophobia and certain forms of skin diseases. The curative action, in poisonous bites, of this and other members of the Strychnos family, is attributed by Prof. C. Pavesi to the antiseptic and antifermentative power of the alkaloids strychnine and brucine.

The complete harmlessness of fool's parsley (Ethusa Cynapium) is again asserted by Dr. J. Harley, and proved on this occasion by evidence calculated to convince the most incredulous. He justly complains of the perpetuation of a popular fallacy by the authors of modern works, who, in the face of satisfactory testimony to the contrary, continue to speak of this plant as a poison.

Some of the recent contributions to the literature of spurious drugs and of drug adulteration call for a brief notice in this chapter. Dr. A. Tschirch draws attention to a spurious jaborandi, the botanical source of which is at present unknown, but is probably a member of the Rutacea. It differs from the genuine drug in its brighter colour, its less prominent veins, and the appearance of its transverse section. The rhizome of Sium longifolium, a variety of S. latifolium, is described by Dr. C. Bernbeck as a frequent adulterant of valerian, from which it may be distinguished by its comparative lightness, and the less pithy and more wrinkled appearance of its fibres. Mr. T. E. Greenish mentions the occurrence in the London market of rose petals artificially coloured with rosaniline, and recommends a process for the detection of this fraud. A spurious and poisonous star anise is reported upon by Prof. Husemann, Mr. E. M. Holmes, Dr. A. Langfurth, and Mr. J. F. Eykman, all of whom describe the characters by which it may be distinguished from the true article. The fruit in question is that of Illicium religiosum, Sieb., a Japanese tree which several well known writers have erroneously supposed to be a mere variety of Illicium anisatum. Considering the decidedly toxic properties of the Japanese fruit, it is fortunate that the differences in odour, taste, and the appearance of both carpels and seeds, between this and the true star anise, are sufficiently striking to render the distinction of the two fruits a comparatively easy task. Dr. T. Peckolt gives a list of physical and chemical characters by which the balsam of Myroxylon peruiferum may be distinguished from true balsam of Peru, with which it agrees in many of its medicinal properties. The testing of Peruvian balsam forms the subject of a report by Prof. Flückiger, in which stress is laid on the specific gravity of the sample, and its behaviour to lime and to bisulphide of carbon.

Chemical research has again been extended to a considerable

number of vegetable drugs. Pereiro bark, the produce of a species of Geissospermum, an extract of which is used in Brazil as a febrifuge, has been investigated by Dr. O. Hesse, who reports the isolation from it of two alkaloids, geissospermine and pereirine. In the further course of his researches on dita bark (Alstonia scholaris), the same author has succeeded in showing that, besides the alkaloid ditamine, previously isolated and described by him, this bark contains two other bases, echitamine and echitenine. The same three alkaloids are also found by him to occur in the bark of Alstonia spectabilis, together with a fourth base, first discovered in it by Scharlée, for which Dr. Hesse now proposes the name alstonamine. Australian Alstonia bark (Alstonia constricta), on the other hand, is shown to contain three bases distinct from those just mentioned; and for these he suggests the names alstonine, porphyrine, and alstonidine. An examination, by Mr. H. G. Greenish, of the rootbark of Nerium odorum, the sweet-scented oleander, reveals the presence therein of two closely allied non-nitrogenous, bitter principles, probably glucosides, both possessing the characters of powerful cardiac poisons. These he proposes to call neriodorein and neriodorin. Mr. L. H. Holden publishes the results of an analysis of the bark of Aralia spinosa, or false prickly ash bark, showing its bitter principle to be a glucoside. The tubers of Scybalium fungiforme, a Brazilian parasitic plant belonging to the Balanopheraceae, have been examined by Dr. Peckolt, who announces the isolation from them of a crystallizable alkaloid, a crystallizable acid, and a peculiar bitter principle. Two crystalline poisonous principles, named podophyllotoxin and picropodophyllin, are reported by Dr. Podwyssotzki to have been isolated from podophyllum rhizome, together with podophyllic acid, a green oil, and an inert yellow crystalline substance resembling quercetin. The root of Rhinacanthus communis is shown to contain an active constituent resembling chrysophanic and frangulic acids in their antiseptic and antiparasitic properties. Messrs. C. R. A. Wright and E. H. Rennie describe a sweet crystallizable principle extracted by them from the leaves of Smilax glycophylla, which are used in Australia as a remedy for scurvy and allied diseases.

In an elaborate report on the chemistry and pharmacy of ergot, M. Schmitt arrives at the conclusion that chemists are not yet properly acquainted with the active principles of this drug, and that not one of the bodies hitherto isolated from it can replace the drug as a therapeutic agent. He agrees with Bonjean and Buchheim in regarding the medicinal properties of ergot as duo, not to

any one constituent, but to its entire chemical constitution. In his opinion preference should be given to powdered ergot over any of its preparations for internal administration, while he considers ergotine of Bonjean as the best form for hypodermic use.

The oil of ergot, which hitherto has been considered a useless waste product, is stated by Dr. Shoemaker to possess protective, soothing, and astringent properties, rendering it a valuable therapeutic agent in various skin diseases. The emollient properties of heavy paraffin oil are pointed out by Dr. Symes, who also calls attention to the suitability of this oil for a variety of pharmaceu tical purposes.

Mr. E. G. H. Graff publishes the results of his experiments in the preparation of emulsions of oils, balsams, oleo-resins, resins, gumresins, and seeds. In a paper on the preparation of syrups, Mr. G. H. C. Klie recommends a process of percolation for dissolving the sugar, on account of the more perfect clearness of the products, and their non-liability to crystallize. For the desiccation of narcotic extracts, Mr. W. Kirchmann proposes the addition of a definite proportion of anhydrous sodium sulphate; while another writer suggests the use of starch for the same purpose. Mr. E. B. Shuttleworth recommends an improved method for the preparation of liquor opii sedativus, consisting mainly in several successive repetitions of the B. P. process of preparing the liquid extract of opium.

Notwithstanding the care taken in the sifting of the past year's literature, and the rigid exclusion of unsuitable matter in the selection of the material for this work, the present Year-Book contains a larger number of abstracts than any of the previous volumes, occupying, however, considerably less than the usual space. It has been our special aim to effect this condensation without lessening the usefulness of the abstracts; and in this we trust to have succeeded. The large amount of matter has made it impossible, however, to allude to more than a small portion in this introductory chapter.

As a new feature of the book, we refer to the bibliographic section, which, we hope, will prove welcome to the reader.

CHEMISTRY.