excess, and the whole dried in the water-bath. The dry mass is then powdered and exhausted by repeatedly boiling with absolute, or at least very strong, alcohol, and filtering through a heated funnel. On cooling, the concentrated alcoholic solution deposits the picropodophyllin in long, snow-white, silky crystals. They are collected, washed with 50 per cent. spirit containing a little ammonia, to remove the last traces of picropodophyllic acid, as well as colouring matter, etc., and finally dried at a low temperature, during which the crystals aggregate to felted, silky masses. The filtrate and washings may be concentrated to obtain the picropodophyllin still in solution. All the solutions of picropodophyllin have an intensely bitter taste.

Picropodophyllic Acid may be obtained from podophyllotoxin by treatment with ammonia. Owing to the decomposing action of the alkali, it is very difficult to obtain picropodophyllic acid quite pure, especially in sufficient quantity for chemical analysis.

Podophyllic Acid separates out on the addition of ether to the chloroformic solution of the crude podophyllotoxin; it may be washed with ether and purified by repeated treatment with chloroform and ether.

Both the fatty substances present may be isolated from the petroleum spirit solutions obtained in preparing podophyllotoxin. The residue left after distilling off the solvent crystallizes on standing.

Podophylloquercetin can be best obtained from podophyllin that has been prepared without the use of alum. After exhausting with chloroform and petroleum spirit, the podophyllin is dried and extracted with ether, which removes podophylloquercetin with but little impurity. The residue after evaporating the ethereal solution, is treated with acetate of lead, with which podophylloquercetin forms a compound soluble in acetic acid. This compound is decomposed in the usual manner, the podophylloquercetin being taken up with ether. On evaporating this solution, it is finally obtained in the form of a yellow powder, gradually turning green on exposure to air. Sulphuric ether precipitates it from ammoniacal solution in minute yellow crystals. It may also be obtained by sublimation in yellow shining crystals.

The author suggests the following doses for podophyllotoxin :As a single dose for an adult, grain may be administered; this is most advantageously given in spirituous solution before bedtime. If no effect is produced during the following day, the dose may be repeated in the evening. In cases of obstinate constipation, as

much as grain, but never more than may be given in the evening, and followed by a second in the course of the next day. For a little child to grain, for older children grain is a sufficient quantity. In no case should a second dose be given within ten hours after the first, as the action is not rapid. lowing formula is a convenient one:

Solve in

B Podophyllotoxini

Spirit. rectific.

gr. iiss.

x.

The fol

Dose for an adult, 30 drops in wine or brandy; for children, 1 to 10 drops in sweetened water or milk.

The administration may be followed by lemonade or any acid drink, or wine, but alkalies should be carefully avoided for at least two or three hours.

The antidote, in cases of poisoning, would be soda water, or magnesia, or any alkaline liquid, followed by almond milk or emulsion of almond oil.

In reviewing the methods in use for the preparation of podophyllin, the author rejects the use of alum, as tending to convert part of the picropodophyllin into its insoluble crystalline form. It is better to use a little hydrochloric acid in precipitating the resin. The author finally reviews the various hypotheses advanced by previous investigators as to the nature of the active principle of podophyllin, and comes to the following conclusions :

Guareschi's opinion that the active principle is a glucoside is incorrect; berberin is not contained in podophyllin, and cannot therefore have anything to do with its activity, as has been maintained by several authors; Buchheim's theory that it is an easily decomposable anhydride has also been shown to be incorrect, as well as Power's opinion that the activity is due to podophyllic acid. The neutral crystalline picropodophyllin is the sole active principle in podophyllin and podophyllum root.

The original paper contains a chronologically arranged list of publications bearing upon podophyllin, as well as descriptions of the botanical and microscopical characters of the podophyllum plant.

A False Belladonna Root. E. M. Holmes. (Pharm. Journ., 3rd series, xii., 741.) The root reported upon by the author has been identified by Prof. Flückiger as that of Medicago sativa, and is stated by him to be sometimes met with on the Continent as an adulterant of belladonna root.

In size and colour the medicago root closely resembles that of belladonna, but differs in the following particulars :

The crown of the root is divided into three or four woody branches, which are solid. The tap-root is hard and woody, and broken only with difficulty. The outer surface is more or less covered with small scattered warts, and when scratched with the nail does not leave a white mark. The transverse section presents a woody structure, and when it is wetted the cortical portion is seen

to be of a white colour with a yellowish meditullium traversed by a number of white medullary rays (fig. a). When the transverse surface of the root is moistened, a leguminous odour, somewhat resembling that of the pea, becomes perceptible, and the flavour is similar. The taste of the root is at first sweet, like that of liquorice, and afterwards bitter and somewhat acrid, irritating the fauces.

*The woodcuts of this and subsequent illustrations were kindly lent by the Editor of the Pharmaceutical Journal.

Belladonna root is generally crowned with the hollow bases of the leafy stems, and the epidermis is easily scratched off by the nail, leaving a white starchy spot wherever abraded. The transverse surface of the root exhibits a narrow cortical portion of a yellowish or pale brown colour, divided by a dark line from the large meditullium or central portion. The latter is also of a pale brown colour, and shows, irregularly scattered through its substance, but more numerous towards the cortical portion, a numer of darker dots (fig. b), which when examined through a lens are seen to be vascular bundles in which the openings of the large porous vessels are visible, the vessels being surrounded by a few wood cells which give the dark colour to the dots. The taste of the root is starchy and slightly bitter, without subsequent acridity. The root breaks with ease. Both the medicago and the belladonna contain starch, the grains being much larger and more muller-shaped in belladonna, and forming sometimes duplex or triple granules; other granules appear circular or oblong oval, according to their position. In medicago the starch grains are somewhat similar, but smaller. There are also present in the latter root a number of linear-oval grains, presenting a well marked linear hilum. There is much less starch in this root than in belladonna, and the iodine test therefore gives a comparatively faint reaction. Neither root appears to contain tannin. The best marks by which to distinguish the medicago root therefore are the radiated structure of the meditullium, its woody character, and consequent resistance when an attempt is made to fracture it.

The root here described by the author was of German origin. In his opinion it is likely to be of frequent occurrence among belladonna root imported from that country.

A False Senega. G. Goebel. (Amer. Journ. of Pharm., 1881, 321.) The author describes a root under the name of southern senega as being other than the root of Polygala senega. This false senega has no keel to the root, but a larger head or crown, and loosely adherent bark; it is more difficult to powder, and is much less acrid than the true drug. The proportion of polygalic acid. found in the false senega was only three per cent., while that of the Polygala senega was five per cent. It is evident, therefore, that this drug, although probably derived from a species of Polygala, cannot be substituted for the true drug.

A False Senega. Dr. J. H. Gunn. and Pharm. Journ., 3rd series, xii., 83.) author to a Polygala (since determined

(New Remedies, 1881, 208, Attention is called by the by Dr. L. Johnson to be

Polygala Boykinii, Nuttall), growing abundantly in central Alabama, and possessing expectorant properties. This plant differs from the true seneg in having a branched stem, obovate leaves in whorls of four or five, and stalked flowers.

A False Senega. Prof. J. M. Maisch. (Amer. Journ. of Pharm., 1881, 387.) In 1876 W. Saunders directed attention to a root, of which large quantities were then in the market, and which was sold as senega, but was deficient in acridity.

The same root has likewise been noticed in Europe. Among others, it was described by T. Greenish (see Year-book 1878, 523), who regarded it as young and immature senega, a conclusion which did not agree with the author's observation. E. Siebert (Amer. Journ. of Pharm., 1880, 469) suggested that this false senega might be derived from one of the numerous Central American species of Polygala.

Recently, Dr. J. H. Gunn (see the preceding abstract) reported upon a plant which had been successfully used in place of senega, and this plant was recognised as Polygala Boykinii, Nuttall. Α specimen of this plant, with root, was sent by this gentleman to the author, who describes it as closely resembling senega root, but being entirely destitute of the keel-like line of the latter, and having in all its parts a woody column of circular appearance in the transverse section. He found the root to be identical with the specimens of false senega in his collection, and also to agree in its microscopic structure with that previously described by T. Greenish, and more recently by G. Goebel (see this volume, p. 167).

The plant is one of the herbaceous perennial species of Polygala. Several slender stems are produced from the same root, and rise to the height of twelve or eighteen inches without branching. The leaves are in whorls of about five, attain a length of about an inch, and vary between lanceolate and obovate in shape, the upper ones being even linear, and sometimes alternate. The flowers are interminal, slender, rather dense spikes, and are of a whitish colour, with roundish, partly green wings. The seeds are hairy, and have a caruncle of about two-thirds the length of the seed. The plant flowers from May or June to July or August, and grows in rich calcareous soil in Georgia and Florida, and westward.

The Root of Ipomoea Pandurata. C. Manz. (Amer. Journ. of Pharm., 1881, 385.) This root, commonly known as man-root, man-of-the-earth, wild jalap, and wild potato, is elongated, cylindrical, two or three feet long, one to several inches thick, and abruptly contracted above to the thickness of a finger. It appears