222 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



BOTANY AND MATERIA HEDICA. 



By Prof. H. H. RUSBY. 

 Dr. Fernando Allamirano, who has contrib- 

 uted so largely to our knowledge of the natural 

 history of Mexico, has communicated in an 

 ''In forme que Rinde d la Secretaria de Fomen- 

 to,^' an account of his excursions to the moun- 

 tains of Ajusco and the Sierra de les Cruces. 

 Among the interesting: observations recorded is 

 a brief account of the poisoning of a shepherd- 

 boy a])parently by a honey-like fluid deposited 

 upon the leaves of trees by the Mynnecocystus 

 melliger, Wesmael. So abundant was the de- 

 posit that the trees appeared as though visited 

 by a heavy shower. The boy having chewed a 

 number of these leaves, was seized with violent 

 gastrointestinal pains, accompanied by vomit- 

 ing and prostration. He was recovered by the 

 next day. As the identity of the leaves was not 

 stated, it appeares open to question if they were 

 not responsible for the poisoning. 



As a prelude to his list of plants collected 

 (and determined by Dr. Jose Ramirez) Dr. Alta- 

 mirano gives a brief account of the geography, 

 topography and climate of the regions traversed, 

 together with a comprehensive meteorological 

 tables. The list of plants includes a statement 

 of the altitude at which each was collected, its 

 common name and a brief account of the prop- 

 erties of the most important. 



Claytonia perfoliata, Don("Quelite de vena- 

 do") is eaten as a salad by the Indians. 



Calliandra grandifiora, Benth ( "Caballitos") 

 is used as an antipaludico, (^antiperiodic ?). 



Ac(S7ia elongata, L. ( "Te Garanon") is used 

 in a tea and considered aphrodisiac. There is, 

 however, no good reason to regard it as other 

 than astringent. 



An undetermined species of Rubus called 

 "zarzamora" is noted for its great acidity. 



Patentilla candicans, H. B, K. ("Sangrega- 

 do" ) has a tannin producing root and contrib. 

 utes in a great part to the formation of the turf 

 of those regions. 



A species of Crataegus called "Tejocote" 

 yields an edible fruit. 



Ribes jorulletise, H. B. K., and R. Affine, 

 Willd. ("Saracuacho") are reported to yield 

 emetic fruits. 



Garrya ovata, Benth ("Chichicuahuitl") is 

 well known to yield an excessively bitter bark 

 used as an astringent and tonic. 



Didymoea Mexicana, Hook ("Ocoxochitl") 

 is very aromatic and is used as a tea. 



An undetermined species of Senecio, called 

 "Zempaxuchitl" is said to be poisonous, as is 



Pernettya ciliaris, Don ( "Capulincillo" ) . 



Buddleia Humboldtiana, R. & S. is used to 

 eat as forage for the "reses." 



Nedoicxia forniosa , H. B. K., yields an edi- 

 ble fruit. 



The fruits oi Peperotnia umbilicata, R. & P., 

 ("Pimienta de tierra") are pungent, resembling 

 black pepper. Two new species are described 

 by Dr. Ramirez. Halenia Candida and Passiflo- 

 ra eslavensis. 



Hesse shows that hyoscine (Ladenburg) and 

 scopolamine (E. Schmidt) are identical, and 

 that the latter name should give place to the 

 former. In extracting this alkaloid from hen- 

 bane seed, the latter must be ripe, and must be 

 thoroughly broken up, the kernel being the 

 place of deposit. 



An account of the Sturtevant Pre-Linnaean 

 Library of the Missouri Botanical Garden forms 

 the subject of a reprint from the seventh annual 

 report of that institution. This library consists 

 of a collection made by Dr. E. Lewis Sturtevant 

 of South Framingbam, Mass., and was present, 

 ed by him to the Garden in 1892. Although of 

 great value to all students of botany, it is espec- 

 ially so to those interested in nomenclature. It 

 was with reference to the history of cultivated 

 plants that the collection was made, so that 

 their publication may be regarded as a contri- 

 bution to economic botany, and especially to 

 medical botany. The catalogue numbers 861 

 titles, though quite a number of these result 

 from duplication, under the method of indexing 

 which has been employed. 



Prof. D. T. MacDougal communicates in the 

 current volume of Minnesota Botanical Studies 

 the results of his laborious investigations con- 

 cerning the physiology of the root tubers of 

 Isopyrum biternatum ( Raf. ) T. & G. 



The Produce World, (Nov. 29, 1895, p. 93), 

 contains an account reprinted from the British 

 North Borneo Herald, of the extraction of gut- 

 ta percha from leaves and twigs. This process 

 has been patented by M. D. Rigole. The sol- 

 vent employed is bisulphide of carbon and about 

 90 per cent, of the gum, constituting 7 to 10 per 

 cent, of the weight of the leaves, is said to be 



