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sary to distil the oil, collecting the fraction up to 220°C., and treating the residue with hot soda lve.

Or 2 volumes of the colorless oil are dissolved in 6 volumes of ether; add to this solution 1 volume of concentrated sulphuric acid, drop by drop, so as to avoid heating, agitate the mixture and set aside. It should rapidly separate into two equal layers, of which the upper one is but little colored, while the lower one is deep red. Should the oil contain little thymol, the mixture separates slowly, and the lower layer is mostly more than one-half, and instead of being red is merely pale yellow or reddish-yellow.-Phar. Centralh., 1882, No. 27.

Monarda fistulosa, Lin.; Wild Bergamot.-The leaves have a prominent midrib and secondary nerves, the latter anastomosing near the

a

b

Monarda fistulosa, Lin. a, upper side of leaf, natural size. b, calyx, slightly magnified. c, epidermis from lower surface of leaf, magnified 160 X.

margin, are apparently smooth, but under the magnifying glass are seen to be hairy and densely punctate upon both surfaces. Under the microscope numerous small conical one-celled hairs, about 05 mm. long, are observed, occasionally with a somewhat longer several-celled hair; the hairs on the margin are 1 mm. long and many-celled; the glands are situated in depressions upon a broad stipe. The calyx is nearly 1 cm. long, tubular, many-ribbed, five-toothed, densely hairy on the margin, internally smooth, externally somewhat hairy and beset with yellow glands, which are visible under the magnifier. The mintlike odor becomes prominent on rubbing; the taste is pungently aromatic. Dr. J. Moeller in Ph. Centralhalle, No. 29.

Micromeria Douglasii, Benth., known as yerba buena, a labiate plant of Northern California and Columbia, has been recommended as an anthelmintic, emmenagogue and febrifuge. The drug is described by Dr. J. Moeller as consisting of quadrangular hairy stems. The leaves are opposite, ovate, short-petiolate, obtuse, coarsely crenate, with the nerve branches running to the margin, and with sparse tertiary branches; the upper side almost smooth, the lower surface densely finely punctate, and on the nerves hairy; the largest leaves 4 cm. (13 inch) long and 3 cm. (1 inch) broad; the upper leaves smaller and more acute. The axillary pedicels are thin, about 7 mm. long; the calyx, mostly detached, is elliptic, 4 mm. long, 5 mm. broad, fivetoothed, many-ribbed, hairy, internally naked, and contains at its base 4 nutlets. The drug has a slight aromatic odor, and an aromatic, somewhat bitter taste.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

Micromeria Douglasii. a, leaf and calyx, natural size. b, simple hair, magnified 300 diam. c, cuticle, and d, gland, magnified 300 diam. The cuticle on both surfaces of the leaves is firm. The hairs are firm, conical, mostly two-celled, and rest, with a broad base, upon the somewhat prominent parent cell. The glands are contained in concave depressions, are depressed, have a simple stipe cell, and contain a yellow secretion.-Phar. Centralhalle, 1882, No. 29.

Eugenia Cheken, Molina. From Dr. J. Moeller's description of cheken leaves we take the following, supplementing that given on page 351 of this journal. The leaves are stiff, but not fragile, deli

. Jour Pharm

, 1882

cately wrinkled, light green, occasionally yellowish, short-petiolate, somewhat revolute on the margin, pellucid-punctate, the venation observable on the lower surface, while on the upper surface only the midrib, and in the larger leaves also a few secondary nerves are seen; they are almost inodorous, but when rubbed are agreeably aromatic, and have an aromatic, afterwards strongly bitter taste.

Cheken leaves, natural size. a, upper surface. b, lower surface.

The cuticle is particularly prominent upon the upper surface; the palisade cells form two rows, occupying scarcely one-third of the thickness of the leaf, and contain occasionally a group of crystals; the mesophyll consists of loose, irregularly branched parenchyma, and rarely contains crystals; the globular oil glands, with deep yellow contents, are scattered under the cuticle upon the upper and lower surface.

The virtues of cheken leaves reside in

the tannin and volatile oil.-Phar. Centrahalle, 1882, No. 29.

The bark of Rhamnus purshiana has been examined microscopically by Dr. J. Moeller. The corky layer is about 045 mm. thick, and consistst of 8 or 12 rows, somewhat flattened, rather thick-walled, but not sclerotic cells. The parenchyma of the primary bark is tangentially elongated, partly of a collenchymatic character, free from secondary cork, and contains scattered groups of roundish stone cells, with very thick walls, and accompanied by single rhombohedric crystals; the thin-walled parenchyma contains numerous groups of crystals. The inner bark consists of medullary rays composed of two or three rows of thin-walled, somewhat radially elongated cells, and of broader bast rays in which the parenchyma cells are coarsely dotted upon the radial and horizontal walls, and loosely united in a tangential direction; the sieve tubes are larger, irregularly angular, and united, to the number of 4 or 6, by means of coarsely porous sieve plates, and on the radial sides marked with roundish sieve fields; the bast fibres form alternate groups of two or three rows, extending into few bast rays, and are surrounded by crystal cells. The medullary parenchyma contains a crummy lemon-yellow substance, which dissolves in water with a yellow, and in cold potassa solution with a dingy red color. (See also "Am. Jour. Phar.," 1879, p. 165.)

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Cascara sagrada is thicker and more fragile than frangula bark, and differs from the latter also in containing groups of stonc cells in the primary bark, and a few such groups also in the bast layer.-Phar. Centralhalle, 1882, No. 28.

[graphic]

Rhamnus purshiana; transverse section through bast layer.

Testing of Jalap Tubers.-Hager states that the specific gravity of jalap resin is 1.15 to 116, and that of the sugar 1.5 to 1.6. Good jalap tubers, rich in these constituents, have a density of 1.15 to 1.18, and none should be accepted for medicinal use that have not at least the specific gravity 1.140, which is conveniently ascertained by means of a solution prepared from 200 grams dry table salt and 1,055 grams of water. At least 90 per cent. of the jalap tubers should sink in this liquid at a temperature of 15° to 17°C., care being taken to remove gas bubbles from the surface of those tubers which may float. The jalap is afterwards collected upon a sieve, rapidly washed with water and dried.-Phar. Centralhalle, 1882, No. 27.

Moravian Rhubarb.-The culture of Rheum compactum in Moravia was commenced, in the beginning of the present century, by Prikryl, apothecary in Austerlitz. Until about 25 or 30 years ago the root was largely exported to Lyons and Milano, where it was used for dyeing silk. With the use of chemicals for dyeing, the price of this rhubarb receded to about 10 florins per hundredweight, but more recently has advanced again, and is about 1 florin per pound for triennial roots. This rhubarb is again largely exported, chiefly to Russia, whence it is exported again as Asiatic rhubarb. Prof. Dr. A. Vogl has pointed out histological differences by which this article may be distinguished from Chinese rhubarb; but a correspondent insists

that even in this respect it will resemble the latter much more closely if permitted to remain in the ground for 5 or 6 years. The commercial article is said to yield extracts, tinctures and infusions which, not only in color, odor and taste, but likewise in activity, compare favorably with the corresponding preparations of Chinese rhubarb. The author urges the employment of this rhubarb, partly for patriotic reasons as far as Austria-Hungary is concerned, but chiefly on account of its low price and its good effects, these being fully secured if 5 parts of Moravian rhubarb be used in place of 4 parts of the Chinese root, as was pointed out already, in 1808, by Trommsdorff.-Phar. Post, June 16, 1882, p. 206-209.

NOTES ON ALUMEN, B. P.

BY W. WATSON WILL.

Ammonio-aluminic sulphate manufacture seems to have become a thing of the past, and great difficulty is now experienced by pharmacists in obtaining it, the potassic salt having entirely taken its place. No doubt the consumption of alum from a pharmaceutical point of view is small in comparison to the enormous quantities used in the arts and manufactures of this country, but I think if there had been a persistent demand, however small, for ammonia alum, its manufacture would not have become obsolete. In a communication I had from Mr. R. King, of Glasgow, some time ago, he assured me there was no demand for ammonia alum, a statement fully endorsed by Mr. P. Spence, of Pendleton, in a note I had from him regarding this subject. Various have been the processes employed in the preparation of ammonia alum, some makers preparing the aluminum sulphate from aluminous schist or shale, others using clay or kaolin. The following is a brief résumé of one of the processes: Shale of coal measures, previously calcined, is placed in iron vessels lined with lead, and sulphuric acid from an adjoining receiver is poured over it; the mass then allowed to digest at a temperature of 240°F., this degree of temperature being sustained by a fire underneath the vessels and also by steam and ammonia vapor being blown into the pan. The solution, after evaporating for some time, is poured into large coolers and strongly agitated to prevent formation of large crystals. The deposit of fine crystals, commonly called "flour alum," is now washed and redissolved by steam, and the solution run off into large vessels, called "roaching

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