336 Agricultur, Horticultur, Forstbotanik. — Chemisches. 



hours in a screw press. The blocks contained 8 to 9 percent of water. 

 Samples were immediately sent away, and allowing for the extra 

 amoiint of water, realized a price equivalent to 6s Od per pound 

 for the actual rubber contained in the sample, being about 3d per 

 pound higher than the price realized by ordinary rubber from 

 other Ceylon estates on the same day. Further experiments are in 

 progress. W. G. Freeman. 



Wilson, E. H., T'ang-shgn. {Codonopsis Tangshen, Oliv.). (Kew 

 Bulletin. 9 pp. with plate. 1907.) 



The source of the bulk of T^ang-shen, an important Chinese 

 drug, is the species described by Professor Oliver as Codonopsis 

 Tangshen, in Hooker's Icones Plantarum , t. 1966, and a copy of 

 the figure there given accompanies this note. 



The drug is said to have tonic, and aphrodisiac properties, and 

 is used as a Substitute for Ginseng. The part used is the root, 

 which varies in thicknes from that of a lead pencil, to nearly an 

 inch. When broken it emits a milky juice of an unpleasant odour. 



Codonopsis Tangshen grows in the margin of thickets above 

 4,000 feet in Husseh. Szechuan, and apparently also in Shensi. 

 The roots are dug up, dried in the sun and tied up in various ways 

 sent to all parts of China. Hankow is the principal port of export 

 for this drug, and sends out about 500 tons annually. 



The trade names of the drug vary according to its source and 

 the manner in which it is packed. 



An inferior drug is furnished by Codonopsis lanceolata which 

 grows associated with C. T ang-shen. 



A different kind of T'ang-shen, imported from the province of 

 Shansi, is probably furnished by Canipaniinioea pilosiila. 



It is probable that other species of Campanumoea and Codonopsis 

 yield a kind of T'ang-shen in different parts of China. 



The Chinese drug Ming-t'ang-shen , supposed to possess similar 

 proporties to the true T'ang-shen, and exported from Anhwei, and 

 Kiangsu, is probably obtained from Adenophora polymorpha. 



W. G. Freeman. 



Goris, A. et L. Crete. Sur l'huile de marrons d'Inde. (Soc. 

 Biol. Paris. Numero du 1 Fevier 1907. Seance du 26 Janvier 1907.) 



C'est un fait bien connu que l'huile de marrons d'Inde ne peut 

 s'extraire des graines fraiches par simple epuisement au moyen des 

 dissolvants ordinaires des corps gras. D'apres Artault, cette huile, qui 

 n'avait ete extraite qu'apres une fermentation , serait le produit d'une 

 action microbienne s'exergant aux depens de la matiere amylacee. 

 Les experiences de Goris et Crete montrent que l'huile existe toute 

 formee dans la graine. L'huile est facile ä extraire des marrons 

 prealablement desseches. Dans les marrons frais les solvants ne 

 peuvent enlever l'huile qui est energiquement retenue par la 

 saponine. Jean Friedel. 



Ausgegeben : 1 October lOOT. 



Verlag von Gustav Fischer in Jena. 

 Buchdruckerei A. W. Sijthoff in Leiden. 



