plete, the great bulk of the new substance appearing in the form of a heavy, yellowish oil, which, on the removal of the vessel from the fire, collects at the bottom of the flask, and on cooling, solidifies, while that which had been dissolved by the liquid crystallizes out. When perfectly cold, the whole is thrown upon a cloth filter, slightly washed with cold water, and then dissolved in a large quantity of dilute boiling solution of oxalic acid, the acid being kept in considerable excess. The liquid, filtered hot, deposits on cooling a large crop of crystals of the acid oxalate of the base, dark-coloured, however, and impure. The salt may then be collected on a cloth filter, slightly washed and pressed, redissolved in boiling water, and heated for a few minutes with a little good animal charcoal, deprived of its earthy phosphates, &c., by washing with hydrochloric acid. The filtered solution now deposits the acid oxalate in a state of perfect whiteness and purity; from the pure salt the alkali may be obtained in crystals by solution in a large quantity of boiling water, addition of excess of ammonia, and rapid filtration at a high temperature. The crystals which form on cooling require of course washing with distilled water until all the ammoniacal and other salts are removed, and a portion of the alkaloid taken from the filter is found to leave no residue when completely burned on platinum.

I am in great doubt as to the most appropriate names to be bestowed on these curious bodies, and this doubt will remain until more is known respecting the real origin of the oil. This substance has no apparent connection with formic acid, except the accidental one of contemporaneous production. It is allied in constitution to the sugar and starch series, inasmuch as it contains oxygen and hydrogen in the proportions to form water, and in properties to bitter almond oil and the essential oils in general. So far as my own experiments go, it seems to be produced most freely and in greatest abundance from bran-1 lb. of that substance distilled with half its weight of sulphuric acid, and 3 lbs. of water having yielded nearly a drachm of oil, while mere indistinct traces could be obtained from similar quantities of rice- and potatostarch. Under these circumstances, perhaps, the name "Furfurol" (from furfur, bran, and oleum) might be applied provisionally; and I am informed that this is the name which was proposed by the party who, several years ago, prepared a considerable quantity of the oil (a portion of which came into my hands, as mentioned at the commencement of this paper), and endeavoured to discover for it economical applications.

The following, therefore, will be the provisional nomenclature:Oil produced by the action of sulphuric acid on bran, &c., termed “ furfurol,” Cs Hồ Os.

Product of the action of ammonia on furfurol, or "furfurolamide," C15 HG NO3.

Vegeto-alkali, "furfurine," produced by the duplication of the elements of furfurolamide, C30 H12 N2 O6.

In conclusion, I beg to direct attention to the large and promising field of investigation offered by the study of the action of ammonia on the volatile oils, and on other allied bodies.

Middlesex Hospital, Jan. 9, 1845.

NOTE ADDED DURING THE PRINTING.-Since the preceding paper was read, I have received a communication from the gentleman just referred to, Mr. William Coley Jones, late of Plymouth, who has directed my attention to an article in the Polytechnic Journal, April 1840, in which he has described some of the more important properties of the oil in question, and among others, its power of generating a solid compound with ammonia, which, when distilled with dilute sulphuric acid, reproduced the furfurol. Mr. Jones prepared furfurol on a very extensive scale from the waste "lignin," or bran, separated from wheat in the process of starch-making; the details of the method, however, are not given, and there are no analyses of the products. I feel no hesitation in expressing my opinion that the honour of the independent discovery of this most curious body is justly due to Mr. Jones, and it is much to be regretted that it did not receive greater publicity.

Aug. 12, 1845.

A NEW METHOD FOR DETECTING SPURIOUS MUSK-PODS.

BY J. MOORE NELIGAN, M.D., M.R.I A.

Physician to Jervis Street Hospital, Lecturer on Materia Medica and Therapeutics in the Dublin School of Medicine, &c.

OWING to the high price and great demand for musk, both as a medicine and a perfume, it is very generally much adulterated. This fact is so well known to Apothecaries and to Druggists, that those who have even a moderate consumption of the drug, prefer purchasing it in the unopened muskbag, or, as it is technically called, musk-pod. This precaution, however, is often found not to be a sufficient protection against fraud, as spurious muskpods are not uncommon in commerce, so well prepared that even the most experienced eye is often unable to distinguish the true from the false.

It is now very generally known, that musk is the peculiar secretion of a small sac, situated immediately in front of the preputial orifice of the male mask animal the Moschus moschiferus, and that it is principally imported into the British market from China. The Chinese, finding a greater demand for musk than they are able to supply with the genuine article, squeeze out some of the secretion, which is fluid in the recent state, and mix it with, it is believed, the dried blood of the animal; this compound, which presents the same physical characters as true musk, they put into small sacs made of pieces of the skin cut off from other parts of the animal's body and prepared with the usual ingenuity of this people, so much so, indeed, as almost to defy detection with the naked eye.

The method hitherto adopted for detecting this sophistication, has been the peculiar position of the hairs, which are arranged in a circular manner around the orifice in the genuine musk-pod, and also the absence of any remains of the penis in the artificial pods. But those characters are not invariable, and I have seen some spurious musk-pods which were so skilfully prepared as to be undistinguishable from the genuine article when compared with them.

The plan which I propose, depends on the microscopic characters of the hairs which grow on the preputial sac of the musk animal, and which, as far as I have been able to detect by direct experiment, differ very remarkably from those of the false sacs which are met with in commerce. This test I have recently had an opportunity of pointing out to my friend Professor Christison, of Edinburgh, and of illustrating it to him from specimens in his own museum. The character of the hairs may be readily understood by a reference to the accompanying woodcut, of which the one marked A.

represents a hair from a genuine, and that marked B. one from a false musk-pod. Hairs of the same size have been selected, and they are drawn as seen through a microscope of 300 diameters.

The difference appears to depend on the act, that the hairs of this part of the animal are furnished in the interior with distinct regular coloured cells, while in hairs taken from other parts of the animal's body those cells appear to be obliterated, as is generally the case in this and the allied tribes of animals.

The method I have now proposed is a very simple one, and of easy application, and cannot be considered too scientific in the present day, when every Pharmaceutist must be supposed to be provided with a microscope at least of the power above spoken of, without which he could not possibly detect the adulteration of arrow-root and of the other feculas of commerce.-The Dublin Quarterly Journal of Medical Science.

[We have examined the musk-pods in the Museum of the Society, as well as some others, and have found the hairs in all the specimens to possess the cellular structure described as characteristic of the genuine pod, although several were known to be spurious. We must not therefore infer that every pod is genuine, the hairs of which possess this character, although its absence may be considered a proof that the pod is spurious.-ED. Pharm. Journ.]

VETERINARY MEDICINES.

Cordials and Stimulants are medicines which possess warm and stimulating properties, which are capable of exciting the animal energy, and which are generally given to raise the spirits. Expectorants (from expectoro, to discharge from the breast) are medicines which increase the discharge of mucus from the lungs, and thereby remove or alleviate coughs and difficulty of breathing.

R Ginger, in powder, bj-Gentian, in powder, Ibj-Honey or Palm Oil sufficient to form a mass. Dose from 33 to 3iss. [Morton.

No. 2.

R Coriander Seed, in powder, 3viij-Gentian, in powder, 3viij-Ginger, in powder, 3iv-Caraway Seed, in powder, 3viij-Oil of Aniseed 3ss-Honey or Palm Oil sufficient to form a mass. Dose Ziss. [Blaine.]

No. 3.

R The mass No. 2, 3js-Powdered Myrrh 3j-Balsam of Tolu 3j. Mix to form a ball. [Blaine.]

R The mass No. 2, 3j-Opium gr. xx—

[Blaine.]

No. 4.

-Camphor 3j. Mix to form a ball.

No. 5.

R Pimento, in powder, lbj-Barley Meal bij-Treacle or Honey sufficient to form a mass. Dose 3iss. [Bracy Clark.]

No. 6.

The mass No. 5, with the addition of a little Ginger, Cinnamon, or White or Cayenne Pepper. [Bracy Clark.]

No. 7.

R Aniseed, in powder, Ibj-Gentian, in power, tj-Cascarilla, in powder, Hbj-Honey sufficient to form a mass. Dose iss. [Blaine.]

CORDIAL DRINKS.
No. 1.

R Decoction of Chamomile, Oiij-Decoction of Aloes, 3iv-Ginger, in powder, 3ss-Sulphate of Iron, Ziss. Mix and divide into four doses. [Blaine.]

R Gripe Tincture* fziv-Water fZviij. Mix for a dose.

R Ginger, in powder, 3ij to 3iv-Strong Ale (warm) Oj. [Morton.]

No. 2.

No. 3.

No. 4.

No. 5.

[Bracy Clark.]

Mix for a dose.

R Caraway Seeds, in powder, 3ss to 3j-Strong Ale (warm) Oj. Mix for a dose. [Morton.]

R Caraway Seeds, in powder, 3ss-Ginger, in powder, 3ss-Carbonate of Soda 3j-Brandy 3j-Water 3viij. Mix for a dose. [Gray.]

No. 6.

R Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia 3ij-Common Salt 3j-Water Oss-Mix for a dose. [Gray.]

No. 7.

R Barbadoes Aloes 3iij-Cascarilla, in powder, 3ij-Oil of Peppermint, gtt. xx-Tincture of Cardamoms 3j-Water (warm) Oj. Mix for a dose. [Gray.]

COUGH BALLS.
No. 1.

R Ammoniacum 3ss-Powdered Squill 3j-Soap 3ij-Honey enough to form a ball for one dose. [White.]

No. 2.

R Asafoetida 3iij-Galbanum 3j-Carbonate of Ammonia 3ss-Ginger 3iss -Honey sufficient to form a ball for one dose. [White.]

No. 3.

R Camphor 3iss-Powdered Squills 3i-Balsam of Tolu 3j-Ginger, in powder, 3ij-Honey sufficient to form a ball for one dose. [White.]

Gripe Tincture.-R Pimento, in powder, bj-Rectified Spirit and Water, of each Oiij. Macerate for seven days and strain,

No. 4.

R Aloes Zij-Digitalis, in powder, 3-Liquorice, in powder, 3xij-Honey or Barbadoes Tar sufficient to form a mass. Dose 3j, twice a day. [Morton.]

No. 5.

RIpecacuanha 3j-Camphor 3ij-Liquorice Powder 3ss-Honey sufficient to form a ball. To be given every morning. [Blaine.]

No. 6.

R Liquorice powder 3ss-Linseed or Barley Meal 3j-Tar 3ss-Honey sufficient to form a ball. [Bracy Clark.]

No. 7.

R Emetic Tartar, gr. x. to gr. xv.-Digitalis 3ss to 3j-Honey sufficient to form a ball. This may be given to cattle, or sheep, in the above dose. [Morton.]

No. 8.

R Digitalis, gr. j to gr. ij-Liquorice Powder, 3ij-Honey sufficient to form a ball. [Morton.]

COUGH DRINKS.

R Cold drawn Linseed Oil Zij-Liquor Potassæ gr.xl-Treacle 3-Water 3x. Mix for a dose. [Bracy Clark.]

CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF SASSAFRAS ROOT.

BY DR. NUGO REINSCH.

DR. REINSCH analysed the bark of the root, which contains a much larger proportion of the active constituents than the wood. His results are as

follows:

Reddish brown colouring matter, tannic acid, and

salts

Starch, tannic acid, &c., extracted by a solution of?

289

caustic potash

Insoluble woody fibre

247

1000

The substance called sassafrid is a peculiar principle, which may be arranged with tannic acid. It is difficultly soluble in water, but soluble in ether and alcohol. It communicates a dark colour to alcohol.

Sassafras wood freed from the bark yielded similar results; but it contained scarcely half the quantity of the constituents which the bark yielded, and the volatile oil was even in still smaller quantity. This fact is especially worthy of notice, because we, in general, obtain from Druggists the wood already cut, the bark being previously removed and sold separately.— Buchner's Repertorium.