Cjjt Canadian ^ntomolopt 



LONDON, ONT., DECEMBER, 1876. No. 12 



VOL. VIII. 



NOTES ON CANTHARIDES. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



Read at the Recent Meeting of the American Pharmaceutical Association in Philadelphia. 



The fact that we have in America several species of Cantharides, as 

 well as some other closely allied vesicating insects which might at any 

 time be used as a substitute for Cantharis vesicatoria (the Spanish beetle), 

 has long been known. The species, however, to which attention has 

 heretofore been chiefly drawn are some of the smaller ones found in the 

 more northern parts of the country, especially Epicauta (Cantharis) 

 vittata and cifierea, while the larger species south and west have been 

 almost overlooked. The northern species referred to compare very 

 unfavorably in size with the European vesicatoria, a feature which adds to 

 the cost of collecting them ; it would also appear that this difference of 

 size has often carried with it the impression of a corresponding inferiority. 

 Another bar to their successful introduction has been found in their 

 color. By a strange misconception the presence of the brilliant green 

 * particles of the wing-cases in the powdered imported insect, has been 

 associated with their activity, and any sample of powdered cantharides or 

 of prepared emplastrum, where these brilliant particles are wanting, would 

 by many physicians be at once condemned. The recent introduction of 

 the Chinese beetle Mylabris cichorii has done much to remove the latter 

 objection; still, notwithstanding that it has been shown by Prof. Maisch 

 (see Proc. Am. Pharm. Assoc, 1872) that the Mylabris is much stronger 

 than vesicatoria, yielding, according to his analysis, fully double the quan- 

 tity of cantharidin, the relative market price of the insects belonging to 

 the two species indicates that popular prejudice still favors the use of 

 vesicatoria. Our vittata and citierea, when powdered, nearly resemble the 

 Mylabris in color. 



