The investigation has been carried out on autumn-gathered leaves of The alkaloid was male and female trees of the species Tcczus Baccuta. C37H,2N010,HAuCI, (m, p. 72.5') and C37H"N0,0,AuCI, (m. p. 132-1 34') respectively. The riiethyl iodide compound, C,7H52N0,0,CH31 (m. p. 121°), has been prepared a s a white, amorphous powder by mixing benzene solutions of tho alkaloid and methyl iodide. Although the analytical figures deduced, both for taxine and its salts, are in substantial agreement with

more »

... he formula, C37H52N010, given by Hilger and Brande (Ber., 1890, 23, 464), the authors are not of opinion that this formula is definitely established. The aIcoholic extract of yew, amounting t o about 26 per cent. of the dry leaves, is a t present under examination. DISCUSSION. Prof. DUNSTAN remarked that the authors had confirmed the accuracy of previous work on the properties of taxine, and he hoped that they would now be able to go further and throw some light on its chemical structure. It had not been yet fully proved that yewpoisoning was due t o the presence of taxine, and indeed even the exact conditioiis under which yew becomes poisonous did not appear to have been determined with certainty. Mr. GOLDING said t h a t i n the year 1893 he had assisted Mr. Dymond i n an invsstigation of the alkaloid of the yew. They found t h a t drying the leaves at 100" destroyed the alkaloid, The extraction of the alkaloid was made from bruised, green, freshlygathered leaves by Marm8's process, which was repeated several times t o purify the alkaloid. Further purification was effected by adding light petroleum t o t h e ether solution, t h e fractions thus obtained giving the characteristic reactions of taxine. When dry hydrogen chloride was passed into a solution of t h e alkaloid in anhydrous ether, and a crystalline precipitate was formed,