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314

The Inorganic Constituents of Plants.

The specific gravity of the samples does not give any idea of their liability to explosion, but it forms a tolerably reliable means of distinguishing between the British paraffin oil and the American substitutions. Eighteen samples of Young's paraffin oil had an average specific gravity of 833; the American oils are generally below 816, but two samples, and those bad ones, were as high as 830; while a sample of coal naphtha, incomparably more combustible and dangerous than any of them, had a density of 865. The boiling point is no better guide, for though volatility is generally in close relation to the boiling point, the vapours of many combustible bodies have so high a diffusive power as to compensate for very high boiling points. For example: A sample of coal naphtha boiling at 260° F. gives an explosive mixture almost instantly, even at the freezing point. The true paraffin oils commence ebullition at about 300°, rising as high as 380° in glass vessels; the worst of the American oils do not commence to boil until at 260°.

With regard to illuminating materials in general, the paraffin and so-called paraffin oils which I have examined, hold a place intermediate between the old lamp oils, which cannot explode in any kind of lamp, and the very volatile and inflammable fluids, such as naphtha, camphine, and spirits of wine, which are liable to explosion at all times, and are employed with this knowledge. The common coal naphtha is infinitely more dangerous, more explosive, and more inflammable than any of the American oils I have examined, yet it is largely consumed as an illuminating material, and with few accidents, because its dangerous properties are known and guarded against. The real danger to society is in selling one species of oil for another; if paraffin were sold for sperm oil it would be as dangerous as if naphtha were sold for paraffin. Genuine paraffin oil is perfectly safe in a paraffin lamp; a majority of the American oils are not safe in this lamp.

While guarding ourselves and the public against a real danger, it would be unwise to join in an undiscerning cry against the new American oils, which promise to become a valuable article of commerce, and which are, in reality, far less dangerous to handle than many a combustible substance largely dealt in and necessary for the wants of society.

92, Grosvenor Street, Manchester.

Contributions towards a Knowledge of the Inorganic
Constituents of Plants, by Dr. CHARLES A. CAMERON,
M.R.I.A., F.C.S.L., Corresponding Member of the
Agricultural Societies of New York, Belgium, &c.
(Continued from page 299.)

Experiments with Manganese, Manganese is one of the doubtful constituents of plants. In the animal kingdom it has been detected in hair, in human gall-stones, and in the urinary calculi of graminivorous animals; but in few of those instances was it present in weighable amounts. If it were proved that manganese is an essential element in animal nutrition, we should at once admit it to be an indispensable constituent of plants; but it is more than probable that its presence in animal substances is accidental, or rather incidental, and admits of the following explanation :Iron in its mineral state is almost invariably found in combination with manganese. Now, when we find that human hairs, particularly when of a dark shade, contain a notable proportion of iron, the source of their small proportion of manganese is apparent. Absorbed in its

CHEMICAL NEWS, June 7, 1862.

combination with iron from the soil by plants, it passes from them into the animal kingdom. In all gall-stones and urinary calculi in which manganese was detected, iron also was found in much larger amounts. I have sought repeatedly for manganese in the secretions of animals, and I have never yet found that it was not associated with iron, and then only in very minute, generally unweighable, proportions.

In by far the greater number of the statements of the analyses of plants, no mention of manganese occurs. In those published more than a quarter of a century ago, its presence is more frequently alluded to than in the announcements of later investigations. Crasso found o⚫82 per cent. of protosesquioxide of manganese in the ashes of the juice of unripe blue grapes, and smaller proportions in different parts of other varieties of the fruit of the vine. In a specimen of prepared flax-stems examined by Sir Robert Kane, 109 per cent. of sesquioxide of manganese was found, but accompanied by no less an amount than 13.52 per cent. of sesquioxide of iron. In ashes of the Acorus calamus (sweet flag), there is, according to Rüling, 1418 per cent. of sesquioxide of manganese; in those of the oak, according to Berthier, from 2.25 to 5.70 per cent.; and in the ashes of the wood of Scotch fir, as stated by Bottinger, from 5 to 15 per cent. In the last instance the manganese appears to have completely replaced iron in the fir tree.

In the experiments performed by me, already described, care was taken to separate the iron used in the artificial manure from manganese. In the ashes of the plants to which the iron had been applied, not the slightest trace of manganese could be detected. From this I infer that plants can be perfectly developed without the presence of this substance; but it remains to be determined whether or not it is capable of playing the part of iron in the vegetal economy. The sesquioxides of these metals are analogous in constitution, and in many of their properties, and it is probable that manganese can be substituted for iron in the same way that sodium is known to replace potassium,-not altogether, but to a limited extent.

Experiments with Copper and Lead.

The question whether or not other heavy metals, besides iron and manganese, occur as normal constituents of animal and vegetal bodies, has been repeatedly discussed within the last thirty years without a satisfactory solution having been obtained.

Some years since, several distinguished chemists stated that gold was frequently present in vegetal substances, but later researches have demonstrated the inaccuracy of this statement.

Silver, it would appear from the researches of Malaguti, Durocher, Sarzeau, and other chemists, is a constituent of sea-water, from which it is taken up by sea-weeds. The same chemists assert that silver is also to be met with in minute traces in land plants.

Arsenicum was stated by Orfila to be a constant component of the bones of man and of the inferior animals, but his assertion was proved to be erroneous by the results of the investigation of a commission of the French Academy of Sciences. G. O. Rees, who in England repeated Orfila's experiments, also failed to detect arsenicum. Hodges tells us that during twenty years' experience as a toxicologist, he never met with arsenic in the human body, except when there was reason to believe that it had been accidentally or criminally administered. Daubeny, last year, tried whether or not arsenicum could be absorbed by plants. He watered

NEWS

vegetables growing in the field with a very soluble arsenical preparation, but in no instance (as analysis subsequently proved) was the metal taken up into the plants. The sulphuric acid employed in the manufacture of artificial manures frequently contains arsenious acid, derived from the iron pyrites, which is so largely used in the sulphuric acid manufacture. E. W. Davy believes that the artificial manures, of which this pyritic acid forms a constituent, contains arsenicum, and that the metal is likely to be absorbed by the plants to which the manure is applied. Horsley agrees with this opinion of Davy's, but other chemists dissent from it.

Copper and lead have been frequently detected in healthy vegetal and animal bodies; but the question whether in such cases their presence was accidental or otherwise has been the cause of many animated discussions. The occurrence of copper in organised structures appears to have been first noticed by Meissner, Bischof, and Sarzeau; the first two named found it in several kinds of plants, the last detected it in coffee and in flesh. Devergie, Barse, and Hervy found it in the ashes of the viscera of different individuals who had died from natural causes. According to Orfila, Lefortier, Deschamps, Harless, and Millon, it is a normal constitutent of the blood and flesh of man, and of the inferior animals. According to Bertazzi, copper is a constant constituent of gall-stones, except in cases where the concretions are colourless. Bertazzi, however, failed to detect copper in the bile, although the copper found by him in the biliary calculi was evidently derived from the bile-pigment. Heller states that the results of his experiments confirm those of Bertazzi; but Hein, who has more recently made a large number of analyses of gall-stones and biliary pigment, found in a few instances traces of manganese, but never any copper. Assuming the analyses of Bertazzi and Hein to be equally correct, the curious fact is demonstrated that the gall-stones of the Italians contain copper, whilst that metal is absent from the biliary calculi of the Germans. Of three gall-stones examined by Sthamer, one only contained copper. Von Bibra found copper in large proportions in the blood of the lower animals, and, in some instances, unassociated with iron,-one of the elements of the blood generally considered as essential to that fluid. In other parts of the animal which yielded this cupreous, non-ferruginous blood, iron could not be detected. In the blood of those animals (Conger vulgaris, Acanthias zeus, Cancer pagurus) which contained both copper and iron, the amount of the former was in an inverse ratio to that of the latter, Are we to infer from this that copper can be substituted for iron in the blood of certain animals? A very elaborate investigation into this subject was made about five years ago by Odling and A. Dupré. They made about 100 analyses of different animal and vegetable substances, and in nearly every instance found a minute quantity of copper. From the whole liver of a sheep those chemists extracted half a grain of copper, and in the ashes of a specimen of wheat it was found in the proportion of o'023 per cent. In many other specimens the quantity of metal was weighable. Chevalier sought for copper in the internal organs of animals, and found it in the greater number of instances. Lastly, Melsens informs us that, by the most careful analysis, he was unable to discover this metal in the blood of man, of the horse, or of the dog; Danger and Flandin failed to perceive it in the healthy human body; and Heyl,

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unlike preceding investigators, could not find it in the ashes of the officinal sponge.

Lead, according to Legrip, is a normal ingredient of the liver, spleen, and other parts of the animal body. In 3300 parts of the ashes of the human liver, this chemist states he found nearly three parts of lead. Millon, Devergie, Hervy, and some others are of opinion that lead is constantly present in small proportion in animal substances; while those chemists who assert that copper is not a component of animal or vegetal substances also exclude lead from the list of the elements of organised bodies.

Rossignon and Deschamps have pointed out the sources of the copper found in animals. The former discovered the metal in gelatine, bread, sugar, coffee, chocolate, and various other food substances; the latter states that all sedimentary deposits contain copper, that the plants grown on these soils take up the copper, and that from the plant it passes into the animal, of which it forms, like iron, a normal constituent.

Having thus briefly passed in review all the statements both in favour of and against the belief in the normal occurrence of copper and lead in plants and animals, I will now detail the experiments which I have made in relation to this question. I have examined, by a great variety of processes, various animal and vegetal substances for copper and lead, and with the following results:

Of twelve specimens of flour obtained from different sources, four contained neither copper nor lead, one contained lead and copper, and seven contained copper only. In only two of the specimens was the amount of copper weighable; one of these yielded in 400 parts nearly one part of metal. The proportion in the other specimen was 1100 The amount was determined by precipitating the copper electrolytically on a platinum wire, dissolving the deposit in nitric acid, evaporating the solution, and igniting the residual oxide. The figures apply only to the ashes of the flour.

In two samples of oats grown near Malahide, in the county of Dublin, not the slightest trace of either copper or lead was detected. In no instance did I discover either metal in the ashes of sea weeds, but I invariably found lead in the plants grown near the lead-smelting works at Ballycorus, county of Dublin.

I have sought for these metals in the bodies of six ducks, and obtained the following results:1. Lead was not present.

2. Two of the animals contained no copper. 3. In the four ducks in which copper was detected, the metal was not equably distributed. The bones and fat of all, and the muscles of one of them, were destitute of copper; indeed, the metal appeared to have accumulated chiefly in the liver, with the object, perhaps, of its being eliminated from the system by means of that organ.

4. The amount of copper in any organ or other part of the animal was too minute to admit of being weighed, 5. The copper was in that part of the carbonised animal substance which is soluble in water-a circumstance which favours the assumption that it exists in vegetal and animal bodies in what H. Rose terms a teleoxidic state, and that it is not an integral constituent of the tissues, although it may be found in them.

In twenty eggs of hens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, not a trace of either lead or copper was discovered - a result which tends to confirm the statement of Cattanei, that

neither of these metals occurs in the bodies of new-born infants or children. The ashes of a large skate, of a

316

On the Detection of Strychnia as a Poison.

haddock, and of three herrings, afforded no indication of lead or copper. Neither did I detect these metals in the ashes of the plants developed under artificial conditions, and the analyses of which have already been given.

From the general results of all the experiments which have been made as to whether or not copper and lead are normal constituents of plants and animals, I think I am near the truth in eliminating the following conclusions :

1. That copper and lead frequently, but not invariably, exist in organised bodies.

2. That they are not present in immature or very young animals.

3. That the facts of their not always occurring in healthy animals and vegetables, and never existing in the embryo or very young animal, are sufficient proofs that their presence in animal and vegetal organisms is owing to purely accidental causes.

Nothing is to my mind more unphilosophical than the belief that substances which occur in all but infinitesimal quantities in organised bodies are essential or even useful constituents of those structures. The mineralogist does not consider the traces of earthy matter in the diamond, or the minute proportion of magnesia which even the purest Carrara marble contains, as essential to the constitution of those substances. The purest water in nature contains saline matters of undoubted accidental occurrence. There is not a single instance on record of a mineral of definite composition not containing substances in greater or less proportion which could be separated from it without affecting in any way its constitution. Yet in full possession of this knowledge, the cultivator of biochemistry no sooner discovers that the whole livert of a sheep contains half a grain of oxide of copper, and that the one four-thousandth part of the ashes of flourt is made up of copper, than he forthwith enrols that metal in the list of the necessary elements of plants and animals. Surely it is not the homoeopathists who alone believe in the potency of the infinitesimal!

PHARMACY, TOXICOLOGY, &c.

On the Detection of Strychnia as a Poison, and on the Influence of Morphia in Disguising the Usual Colourtest, by JOHN J. REESE, M.D., of Philadelphia, THE progressive increase in the number of deaths within the last few years, occasioned by strychnia, used either for homicidal or suicidal purposes, is a subject demanding the careful consideration both of the toxicologist and the medical jurist; and every circumstance connected with the detection of this most potent agent cannot fail to interest the medical profession at large.

The author lately had occasion to investigate this subject closely in connection with a case of alleged poisoning by strychnia. A man was indicted, at the April term, 1860, for the murder of his wife, in Perry County, Pa. Although dying under suspicious circumstances, no post-mortem examination was made until six weeks had elapsed, when the body was exhumed. The stomach and a portion of the small intestine were carefully tied, and, along with the adhering pancreas, were

The liver of a sheep weighs, say about 2lbs. 14,000 grains, of which the oxide of copper constitutes the 1-28,000th part!

The per-centage of ashes in wheat grain varies from 1 to 3; assuming the proportions to be 2 per cent., the amount of copper 1-4000, found by me in the ashes, made up only the one-two hundred thousandth part of the fresh grain.

CHEMICAL NEWS, June 7, 1862.

conveyed to Philadelphia, and placed in possession of Dr. Reese for chemical examination. He found the organic structure but little changed in appearance (eight weeks after death), and the contents of the vessels consisted of four or five fluid ounces of a thick brownish homogeneous fluid.

Three separate analyses were made. The contents of the stomach-contents of the intestine-and the tissues themselves, each of which was carefully repeated; yet he "entirely failed to detect any evidence of the presence of strychnia, either by the bitter taste of the final extract, or by the very delicate colour-test employed."

Inasmuch as the moral circumstances of the case and the symptoms pointed to death by strychnia, the author naturally sought for an adequate cause to explain the failure to detect the poison. After giving due weight to the effects of elimination by the excretions during six hours that the patient survived, and to the agency of decomposing action during six weeks' inhumation, the author remarks on a circumstance in connection with the case which he viewed with especial interest,-namely, the fact that the woman had taken, just before death, by the advice of her medical attendant, a quarter of a grain of morphia, with a little ipecacuanha; but she did not vomit. Now the value of this fact is just this: It has been ascertained that the presence of morphia and other substances has the effect of disguising and entirely neutralising the usual colour-test used for detecting strychnia; so that the latter might be undoubtedly present, yet if morphia were also present at the same time, the strychnia could not be discovered. It will be readily admitted that this is a point of the extremest importance to be settled by the chemist in medico-legal researches. It is one to which no very special attention has hitherto been given. It is merely mentioned as a casual fact in the various works on toxicology, but the only actual experiments recorded, to my knowledge, are those published by Dr. T. G. Wormley, in the Ohio Medical and Surgical Journal, September, 1859, in which it is stated that when the morphia exceeds the strychnia in quantity, the possibility of discovering the latter by the colour-test diminishes. Dr. Reese accordingly undertook a series of experiments to satisfy himself in regard to this very important subject, with the following results:

Experiment 1.-One-tenth of a grain of pure strychnia was added to about twelve ounces of water, into which were put several ounces of fresh beef, finely cut up, together with some starch, a little common salt, and a few drops of acetic acid (the object being to represent, as closely as possible, the contents of a human stomach after a meal). The whole was digested on a sand bath for twelve hours at a moderate heat. It was then strained, pressed, and filtered; and afterwards evaporated down to a very small bulk. It was next divided into two separate portions, each of which, of course, would contain the th of a grain of strychnia. One of these portions was treated after the process known as Graham and Hoffman's (the alkaloid being removed by animal charcoal, and finally extracted by ether). Here a drop or two of the ethereal solution, representing about theth to the 50000th of a grain, gave distinct evidence of strychnia by the usual colourtest. The second portion of the evaporated solution was divided into two parts, each of which would of course contain the th of a grain of the alkaloid. The first of these was treated according to the process of M. Staas, in which ether is used as the ultimate solvent: and the second part after the process of Mr. Prollius, in which

the ultimate solvent was chloroform. In both instances I obtained the most satisfactory proofs of the presence of strychnia, operating upon a single drop of the fluids -which would represent, certainly, not over the 100th of a grain of strychnia.

Experiment 2.-This was a repetition of the former experiment, except that the quantity of strychnia used was much smaller-only the th of a grain. After treatment by Staas' process, and on concentrating the ultimate ethereal solution, the presence of strychnia was manifested both by the colour-test and by the bitter taste of the extract. Here the quantity of the poison operated upon was less than the T100000th of a grain. Experiment 3.-This was an exact repetition of Experiment 2, except that to theth of a grain of strychnia three times that quantity of morphia (rd of a grain) was added. On treating this by Staas' process, as in the preceding cases, I could not discover the slightest trace of either strychnia or morphia, even after the ultimate ethereal solution was concentrated to a very small bulk by evaporation.

As the first two experiments were precise counterparts of those employed in the analysis of the stomach, the author feels justified in believing them to be delicate and reliable, and that the poison should have been isolated if present, unless its presence was masked. The third, he thinks, seems to prove most unequivocally that morphia, when present in excess along with strychnia, has this property of concealing the latter from the usual

colour-test.

Experiment 4.-This was also a repetition of Experiment 2, except that to theth grain of strychnia, the 3th grain of morphia was added instead of the 3rdor double instead of treble the quantity. Here, likewise, there was a total failure to discover the poison.

Experiment 5.-This was a repetition of the last, except that onlyth grain of morphia was added to theth grain of strychnia, or an equal portion. The result here was that I obtained the faintest possible evidence of the presence of strychnia, and only after repeated trials.

From these last experiments I think we may conclude that the influence of morphia in preventing the detection of minute quantities of strychnia, in the presence of an organic fluid, depends upon the relative quantity of the two alkaloids; the strychnia being not discoverable when the morphia is in excess, and barely discoverable when in equal quantity.

Dr. Reese next instituted a set of experiments with a view of ascertaining the effect of morphia in disguising the presence of strychnia in perfectly pure solutions, free from organic mixtures, and the result pointed to the fact that the minuteness of the proportions detectible by the colour-test was inversely as the proportion of morphia was increased, as will be shown in the following tabular

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But an important point to be determined was, how a quantity of strychnia, almost infinitesimal, might be effected by an amount of morphia, which, though small in itself, yet bore a relatively large proportion to the strychnia: just precisely such a state of things as would be likely to be met with in an analysis of the human stomach, and to decide this Dr. Reese tried the following experiments on three half-grown cats:

Half a grain of pure strychnia was given to the first animal, and in eleven minutes it died in a violent convulsion. The poison was very easily discovered in its stomach, by the usual tests, on the following day. To the second animal a quarter of a grain of strychnia and the same quantity of morphia were given; and, somewhat to my surprise, the animal was deeply convulsed in six minutes, and died very quickly. Here the morphia, so far from counteracting the toxic influence of strychnia (as might have been inferred from its opposite physiological influence), seemed actually to have increased its effects. The stomach of the second animal was likewise examined; but I obtained scarcely-recognisable evidence of strychnia, owing, doubtless, to the influence of the presence of the associated morphia. It will be recollected that the quantity of morphia in this case was just equal to that of the strychnia. To the third animal the th of a grain of strychnia and the th of a grain of morphia (double the quantity) were administered. Convulsions took place in about fifteen minutes, and death in half an hour. The stomach was examined by Staas' process, as in the other cases, but with a total failure to detect the poison by the colour-test; although the bitterness of the extract, and its decided action in producing tetanic convulsions in a number of frogs, clearly established its presence.

10

From all the foregoing experiments, it appears to be conclusively established, that morphia does unquestionably possess the power, when present in excess, of completely disguising the colour-test of strychnia; and this is emphatically the case when they are associated in organic mixtures, as in the contents of the stomach. Consequently, this fact should always be taken into account in medico-legal investigations.

The moral evidence in the foregoing case was very strong, and although Dr. Reese's evidence entirely failed to establish the presence of strychnia, yet his evidence of the masking effect of morphia, taken in connection with the fact of the patient having taken morphia just before death, and the strong moral evidence, caused the conviction of the accused, who subsequently made a full confession of the crime.

The remainder of Dr. Reese's paper is occupied with a detailed explanation of the best modes of applying the colour-test, with the value of bitterness as a collateral test, with the physiological or frog-test of Dr. Marshall Hall, and with the microscopy of strychnia.—American Journal of Pharmacy.

Growth of Cinchona in India. 1-300,000th DR. ANDERSON has returned to Calcutta from his mission 1-150,000th to Java, with the large number of 412 cinchona plants 1-100,000th of three species, and with half a million of seeds. The 1-80,000th 1-10,000th 1-5000th

Beyond this the experiment was not pursued, Dr. Reese being satisfied that Wormley's observation,-that the action of strychnia became more difficult as the proportion of morphia increased,-was correct.

cultivation of cinchona in Java, which began with 139 trees in 1855, has hitherto been most successful, but the Dutch do not possess many specimens of the variety whose bark yields the largest proportion of quinine. Dr. Anderson was enabled to supply them with some of the best specimens in return for their liberality and courtesy. Of one species the Dutch have now no less than a

318

Chemical Substances and Products at the Exhibition.

CHEMICAL NEWS,
June 7, 1862.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION,

Chemical Substances and Products.-Pharmaceutical
Products and Foods.
(Continued from page 302.)

million of plants, and of two or three others they possess several thousands. In June, 1857, the whole number they had was only 300, so rapidly have they propagated themselves. The well-known German naturalist, Dr. Junghuhn, is in charge of the plantations, and he was recently joined by Dr. De Vry, a chemist not unknown in England to the members of the British Association. WE may leave Sub-class B, of Class 2, with the safe The report of the first of these gentlemen, now before assertion that it is a display highly creditable to English us, details, with scientific prolixity which we shall not pharmaceutists. We have a very high opinion of English inflict upon our readers, the various steps of the experi- pharmacy. Less fanciful in their composition than ment. South-west of Tjibodas, 4100 feet above the sea, French or German medicines, the Galenical preparations in the very centre of Java, natural forests extend for of our Pharmacopoeias, generally speaking, contain the miles, the soil consisting of loosely-heaped blocks of medicinal virtues of a substance in a simple and easilytrachytic larva. To this spot, under the shade of wide- available form, while the extra pharmacopoeial novelties spreading branches, the plants which had withered in a introduced by individual pharmaceutists often prove of more exposed locality, were transferred in October, 1857. great value, and soon take their place as established Six months after, they began to die in their new habita-remedies, witness the scaled preparations of iron, tion, and the cause was soon discovered in a small beetle quinine, and strychnia, and the syrups of the phosphates We sometimes look round a pharof the bostrichus species, never before seen in the Java and hypophosphites. forests, which deposited its brood in the trunk. After maceutical chemist's shelves, and wonder how it is that many difficulties and experiments with soils and locali- people should suffer and die, convinced that it cannot be ties, the Malawar mountains have proved the best spot. the fault of the pharmaceutist. Before leaving the subThe slightest differences of altitude, light, and tempera- class, however, we must notice the case of Messrs. ture, affect the calisaya variety. The hardiest, though Bullock and Reynolds (648). English pharmacy owes least valuable, is the lucumafolia; but if the former be something to Mr. Bullock. It was he, if we do not planted early, in good, loose, forest soil, and moderate mistake, who first brought out scaled preparations in shade, particularly in the region of from 5000 to 5700 their present elegant form, and he here exhibits some feet above the sea, it grows up as tall and luxuriantly novel specimens, scaled, we imagine, on glass tubing, as any. Each capsule of each plant contains an average which gives them a very pretty appearance. Some of twenty-five sceds. One calisaya yielded 485 capsules, desiccated biles, various hyocholates, and a specimen and each good plant may be said to yield 1300 seeds. of hyodyslysin, C50H38O, give the case an interest to Of 2000 well-developed seeds sown with care on cleared physiological chemists as well as pharmaceutists. Mr. soil, under the shade of trees, only one grows to a real Dickinson, in 652, exhibits a variety of "glycerides," plant; for the slightest touch, even of a drop of water, intended, in some instances, to replace syrups, but not syrup we or a crawling worm, kills the root of the young germ. half so nice. When substances are soluble in At first the plants grow slowly, but after two years they see no advantage in the use of glycerine. There are are two feet high, and then shoot up with great rapidity some remarkable samples of "liquors " in Mr. Bastick's if raised from seed. The plants thus successfully intro- case (646). Those of hyoscyamus, aconite, and belladuced, an important question arises, Will they yield as donna are almost colourless, but are said to contain all much quinine as in their native home in Peru? To test the active ingredients of the plants. There is also a this Dr. De Vry was sent to Java, and he records with colourless liquor digitalis, which, unlike other preparano little triumph how, on July 21, 1858, two and a-half tions of foxglove, it is said can always be relied on. The years after the first plants were introduced, he was advantages of these colourless solutions we believe to be enabled to produce a pure white crystallised quina alka- doubtful. Active medicines are best left in their native loid from the bark of one of those stems which the beetle ugliness and nastiness. We look on these preparahad destroyed. Soon after he obtained from a calisaya, tions as illustrations of misapplied ingenuity, except, of not five years old, the same per-centage of quinine which course, such instances as that of the liquor digitalis, the Bolivian trees yield, or 3'12. At the end of 1861 which, if it can indeed be always relied on to do all that the experiment in Java, only six years old, has thus suc- the doctor expects and the patient hopes, is a most ceeded most completely. Many of the trees are now remarkable and valuable preparation. thirty feet high.

This is full of hope for India, where the plant is now being grown under exactly the same conditions. The total number of plants is 5847, and more than half are of that red bark variety which is most valuable, the dry bark selling at from 2s. 6d. to 8s. 9d. per lb. Rich as are the forests of Bolivia, from which the world draws its sole supply at present, they will not last long. Formerly the trees were everywhere found around the inhabited parts of the region; but now, to meet with one of a tolerable size, it is necessary to penetrate several days' journey into the forest. What India is doing as a substitute for North America in rice and cotton, she must become for South America as an exporter of quinia bark. We believe a nursery will soon be established on Khasai Hills. In less than ten years India should supply herself with all the quinine she needs. In a few more, sulphate of quinine, as well as quinia bark, should bulk largely among her exports.-Friend of India.

Passing for a moment to Sub-class A, we must notice the case of Messrs. Morson and Son, which needs no The pharmaceutical chemicals here commendation. shown look all that can be desired, and the spectator is gratified by the sight of a specimen of narceine such as he has probably never seen before. Another rarity is a large sample of papaverine. The case also contains some Japanese purified peppermint, and a fine specimen of crystallised citrate of lithia.

For a very fine sample of crystallised codein, the visitor must go to French Department No. 204, in which case he will also see the only specimen of igasurine we Complete as the have yet noticed in the Exhibition. English collection of alkaloids is, it seems to want this one. Having noticed the labelling in our own department, we may observe that M. Menier has departed from the usual practice of his countrymen, and given his Our old acquaintance, nitrate of goods strange names. nickel, figures here as Nitras Niccollicus. This case

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