MAV 3; 1887.] 



ei £X ^1 



'^nOfiChtt AGmeULTURlS'T. 



731 



CULTiVATIO-N' OF IXTLE IN MEXICO. 

 The ixtle, or Tampico fibre, is stout, cylindriform, 

 and of the strongest descriptions of fibre knowa. It 

 has a yellowish-white colour, and varies in length 

 from one to three feet, according to localities where 

 the plant grows. The fibre designated as tula mea- 

 sures an average length of 21 inches, and the yanmave. 

 averages 30 inches. Consul Oassard, nf Tampico, states 

 that the ixtle is extracted from the leaf of the Agaves 

 Mexicans, to which species bidongs the marjuei/, or aloe, 

 and much resembles the latter in the form and con- 

 ditions of growth, although smaller in size. It has an 

 elongated, sharp, thorn-edged leaf, containing about 

 three parts of aqueous matter, and one part of solid, 

 which is all fibre-. On maturing, the ixtle shoots up 

 from its very centre a loug round flower-stem, which, 

 on attaining its full growth, falls tp the ground, 

 carried by its own weight. The special botanical name, 

 Consul Cassard says, is not known in Mexico. Ixtle 

 is its Indian name, and the Spaniards have given it 

 the local appellation of Lechugxdila. It grows wild 

 in the stony sections of the table lands of the States 

 of Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi, and its most exten- 

 sive fields he in the vicinity of the towns of Tula 

 and Yanmave. Growing with extraordinary luxuriance, 

 in inexhaustible fields, it is never replanted, and the 

 cro])ped fields lie in barrenness with but a few isolated 

 leaTes,' growing sparsely from the old roots. To be- 

 come an article of commerce, the ixtle is submitted to 

 a very simple process of curing, which consists in com- 

 pletely purging from its leaf the watery matter, and 

 then in exposing to the sun the cleansed fibres, which 

 are thus dried and bleached. The contrivance used 

 in curing the leaf is very primitive, consisting simplj' 

 of a triangular smooth edged piece of iron, measuring 

 about sixteen inches long and two inches broad, with 

 a handle at one end and a hook at the other. A 

 board is laid at the foot of a tree, and over it cross- 

 wise is placed the iron or pressor, one end hooked 

 on to the roots of the tree, and the handle end rest- 

 ing in the operator's hand, with which he strongly 

 presses the leaf against the board, while with the 

 left band he draws it its full length, repeating the 

 operation until the leaf is completely purged of its 

 aqueous matter. By the above process an Indian is 

 enabled to clean on an average twentj' pounds of ixtle 

 per day. The cutting and curing of the leaves have no 

 special season ; both these operations are performed 

 while the plants ripen, and this occurs throughout the 

 whole year. A large trade is carried on in the export 

 of ixtle from DIexico. From the port of Tampico alone 

 about 7,000,000 pounds are annually shipped to Europe 

 and the United States. — Journal of the Society of Arts. 



TAPEWORM REMEDIES. 



Chloroform has been found very efficient against 

 tapeworms. Doses of 30 grains have been given, re- 

 peated after twenty or thirty minutes, but trouble- 

 some cardiac symptoms may be avoided by giving 

 smaller doses (a few tirops) every few minutes for a 

 few times. Thompson successfully prescribed chloro- 

 form, 5j- (by weight), simple syrup to .^j., to be given 

 in three doses, at intervals of two hours, in the 

 morning fasting, with castor-oil to follow. 



An Italian physician recommends thymol as a re- 

 medy for tapeworm. A dose of about half an ounce 

 of castor-oil is given in the evening, when the patient 

 should abstain from food, and take, next morning, 

 two drachms of thymol, divided into twelve doses, 

 one every quirter of an hour. Abjut half an hour 

 after the last dose has beeu given a dose of castor- 

 oil should be administered. This is usually followed 

 by the expulsion of the dead worm. Thymol quickly de- 

 presses the pulse, respirati m, and temperature, and 

 to obviate any ill-effects from this cause frequent 

 doses of brandy or spirits should be given at the 

 sama time. The advantages of thymol are said to 

 be Ihat it p o luces no disturbance of the stomach, is 

 rapid in effect, is both a tasniacide and a tteniafuges 

 and, while cectaa in action, will do no great barm 

 U a'l error ia diaguosis Ijae been njucle. 

 ^3 



A correspondent of the Med. and Surg. Rep. states 

 that he has met with a case in which the adminis- 

 tration of the following mixture to a boy of nine 

 years caused the expulsion of a tapeworm ten feet 

 long. No directions as to the preparation of the mix- 

 ture are given : — 



01. terebinthiuce ... ... ^j- 



01. cinuamomi ... ., 33. 



Mist, curcurb. peponis J^cj- 



The pumpkin seeds, say 1 oz., should be beaten up 

 in a mortar, and an emulsion of them formed with 

 water, similarly to mist, amygdalae. The dose of the 

 mixture is au ounce every hour. 



Recent trials appear to show that pelleteirine may 

 be used successfully .^gainst tapeworm, especially in 

 children. The dose for children from three to five 

 may be from ^ to 1 grain in solution, followed in 

 about half an hour by a brisk purge. The alkaloid 

 does not appear to have the same physiological action 

 on children that it has on adults. — Chemist and 

 Druggist. 



'■ ♦ 



AUSTRALIAN ARGOL. 



In last week's drug sales in London there were 

 sold some parcels of red and white argols, amounting 

 to half a ton, which hail been imported from New 

 South Wales, and whicli formed, we believe, the first 

 consignment which has come to this country. The 

 red argols sold readily at from 90s. to 97a'., and the 

 white at 100s. We have so loug been dependent upon 

 France and Spain for this important commodity that 

 supplies from British colonies cannot fail to command 

 the interest and attention of merchants. For many 

 years argol has been regularly received from the Capo, 

 and, so far, the quality of the argol imported from 

 South Africa has been moderately good. But with 

 the development of wine-growing, which seems to be 

 assured in Australia, the supply from that source is 

 likely to be an important factor in the market. The 

 cultivation of the vine was commenced in the Aus- 

 tralasian colonies nearly half a century ago, and has 

 since been fostered in a very enterprising manner as 

 well as in a scientific spirit. The methods of cultiv- 

 ation and the processes for manufacturing wine which 

 are followed in the wine-producing countries of P^uropo 

 have been carefully studied, and both soil and climate 

 seem to be well adapted to place Australian wines, 

 and consequently other grape products, in a com- 

 manding position in the near future. Some idea of 

 the importance of the industry may be gathered from 

 the fact that in the llutherglen district of Victoria 

 there are 3,000 acres devoted to viti-culture, the esti- 

 mated production of which is 7-'jO,000 gallons of wine 

 annually ; and this does not represent one half of the 

 present production over the whole of that one colony. 

 In South Australia, where vine-planting was commenced 

 in 1840, there are now about 5,000 acres undei cultiv- 

 ation, with an annual production of 500,000 gallons. 

 New South Wales has the credit of having started 

 the industry in Australasia, and the total production of 

 that colony is equal to that of Victoria, there being 

 several vineyards which produce 40,000 gallons and 

 upwards annually. It will be seen, therefore, that 

 with stocks representing at least three years' harvests 

 the yield of argol must be enormous and increasing, 

 The juice of the grape in the unfermentcd statd con- 

 tains the acii tartrate of potash in solution; but witlJ 

 the change of the sugar into alcohol the solvent 

 power of the liquid is diminished, and the tartrate 

 is deposited as argol within the casks while the wine 

 is fermenting and maturing. The norm d compos- 

 ition of artfol shows it to consist of acid tartrate 

 of potash, tartrate of lime, and colouring matter, 

 but tha custom in some wine-produoiug countries 

 of plastering the wines introduces a large percuu- 

 tage of earthy constitutents, including barium, so 

 that argols containiug half their weight of calciun* 

 tartrate have been met with. The argol whijh w»9 

 sold last week was of superior quality, ami the prictj 

 obtained for it should induce a constant supply. Oat) 

 sa!Bpl« Qi the red variety wtiioij vre recejvod wAa in 



