I02
Review of Anzericaz ClienaiLal Resea?&
Characteristics of the Chemical and Physical Properties of Cast-Iron. BY THOS.D. TESTSibZtyJ. Etzg., 15, 125-136.A lecture delivered before Sibley College. BIOLOGICAL CHEnISTRY. 4 G W O O D V A X K E V I ~ FP R
On the Alkaloids of Ceanothus Americanus. BY H.11, GORPharm. Rev., 18, 266--26S.-In t i i s preliminary note the author discusses the properties of the alkaloid, ceanothiize, found by Gerlach (Am.J . Pha7,112., 5, 332) in the root of Ceanothus Americanus. T h e variations in the melting-point of the " ceanothine" and its behavior with absolute ether indicate that it is not an individual compound. The attempt is to be made to either purify or separate it by means of absolute ether and the forniation of derivatives. DIX.
S a w Palmetto Oil. BY OSWALDSCHREINER. Phamz. Rev., 18, 21~-222.-Sherniann and Briggs (this Rezi., 5 , 109) found in saw palmetto a small amount of a volatile oil and a considerably larger quantity of fixed oil. The question having arisen as to whether the volatile oil is present in the berries or is formed from the fixed oil, the author has examined samples of oil from various sources The results show that the volatile oil is not present in the dried berries but are not conclusive as yet concerning its exact source. On the Chemical Composition of Ilonarda Oils. BY \V. E. HEKDRICKS.Pharm. Archives, 2, j3-78.-'I'he chemical composition of the oil of Monarda Pmctata L., as derived from experiments with authentic material, is as follows : About 60 per cent. of the oil is a phenol, largely thymol ; of the non-phenol portion of the oil about I O per cent. is an alcohol, the larger portion consisting of cymene and limonene. T h e oil of the related Moizarda fistulosa L . was found to contain carvacrol and cymene but practically no thymol. The Oil and Terpenes of Aralia Nudicaulis. BY WILLIAMC. ALPERS. A m . J. Pharm., 71, 370-378.-By extraction of the dried root with petroleum benzene 1.726 per cent. of fixed oil, of a dark red color and consisting mainly of tri-olein, was obtained. Distillation with steam yielded about 0.04-0.12 per cent, of a yellow volatile oil having a pleasant aromatic odor. This oil consisted principally of a sesquiterpene, C,,H,,. I n its reactions and properties this terpene seems to differ from the isomeric conipounds identified and the name Aralieiie is proposed for it
