The chemistry of the bark of Robina pseud-acacia, Linné (false acacia or common locust) / by Frederick B. Power.

  • Power, Frederick B. (Frederick Belding), 1853-1927
Date:
[1901]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The chemistry of the bark of Robina pseud-acacia, Linné (false acacia or common locust) / by Frederick B. Power. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/30 (page 4)
    angestellt haben, ob die giftige Eiweisssubstanz der Robinienrinde ein Albumin, eine Albumose, oder ein Globulin, oder ein Gemisch zweier Substanzen ist. Zu derartigen Versuchen hdtte ich jedoch viel grossere Mengen von Material gebraucht als sie mir zur Verfugung standen. Ich musste mich daher damit begnugen festgestellt zu haben dass cs sich thatsdchlich um eine giftige Eiweiss¬ substanz handelt.” From the latter statement one would naturally be led to infer that the toxic action of the Robinia proteid had only be¬ come established as an actual fact by these recent experiments, whereas this would seem to have been sufficiently demonstrated more than eleven years ago. It appears the more remarkable that this should have been overlooked in view of the fact that in acknowledgment of a specimen of the proteid sent to the late Professor Fliickiger, of Strassburg, he wrote me under date of February 4, 1892, as follows :—“I have to thank you for the poison of Robinia, which I sent finally to Prof. Robert, Dorpat (Russia). He has also prepared the poison, and states now that it nearly agrees with your preparation.” At the close of his dissertation, p. 63, Dr. Lau likewise refers to the previously mentioned crystalline colouring matter obtained from Robinia flowers, termed Robinin, which has been under investigation by Professor A. G. Perkin (Proc. Chem. Soc., 1900, No. 219, p. 45; 1901, No. 236, p. 87), and is at present also being examined by Professor E. Schmidt (Apothe- her Zeitung, 1901, p. 357), and remarks as follows:—“Man wird daraus ersehen, wie zeitgemdss es war, unsern Giftstoff aus der Robinie in Robin umzubenennen.” It is evident that the name Robin, as applied to the toxic pro¬ teid of Robinia bark, is a very appropriate one, and it need finally only be observed that this designation has, in fact, been employed by Ehrlich in his physiological investigations, to which I shall subsequently refer, as also in pharmaceutical literature by E. Schmidt (‘ Pharm. Chemie,’ third edit., 1896, Bd. ii., p. 1,647), who refers to it as follows:—“Als Robin wird das in der Rinde von Robinia Pseud-acacia enthaltene, stark giftige Toxalbumin bczeichnet.” Chemical Examination of Robinia Bark. (1) The Toxic Proteid, or Robin. In the first chemical examination of this bark the material was collected by myself in the neighbourhood of Madison, Wiscon¬ sin, where the tree is largely cultivated, and only the light- coloured inner bark was employed. The material for the present