108 PHARMACOGNOSY [Bot. Absts., Vol. V, 



798. French, Harry B. Review of the drug market. Jour. Amer. Pharm. Assoc. 8: 

 843-844. 1919. — A general discussion of the effect of the signing of the Armistice on the drug 

 market. Writer states that the general tendency of American crude drugs has been to greatly- 

 advance in price since the signing of the Armistice and that this tendency will continue for 

 the next several months. Chemicals have a tendency to decline and European crude drugs 

 will be obtainable at lower prices as soon as they can finance shipments and transportation 

 can be arranged. — Anton Hogstad, Jr. 



799. Fuller, H. C. Report on alkaloids. Jour. Assoc. Official Agric. Chem. 3: 188-193. 

 1919.— It is recommended that in conducting assays for strychnine, reliance be placed on a 

 gravimetric determination and not on a determination obtained by volumetric means. — 

 F. M. Schertz. 



800. Gather coal, E. N. The permanency and deterioration of some vegetable drugs 

 twenty-five years of age. Jour. Amer. Pharm. Assoc. 8: 711-716. 1919. — Examination of some 

 144 crude drugs which were prepared some twenty-five years ago and which had been kept in 

 glass-stoppered bottles, showed that most of the drugs were very well preserved and which com- 

 pared with the present U. S. P. and N. F. requirements. Among the drugs much depreciated 

 were Orange and Lemon peels, Labiatae herbs and a number of leaf drugs (Buchu, Boneset, 

 Coltsfoot, Witchhazel, Matico, Gaultheria, and probably Pilocarpus). — Anton Hogstad, Jr. 



801. Greig-Smith, R. The germicidal activity of the Eucalyptus oils. Part I. Proc. 

 Linnean Soc. New South Wales 44: 72-92. Fig. 1. 1919. — Eucalyptus oil as listed in Materia 

 Medica is from E. globulus. Many oils of other origin are sold under this name. The Baker 

 and Smith classification of oils is followed in these tests to determine the toxic effect of 40 

 to 50 specimens of crude and refined oils. E. polybractea (Blue Mallee), E. cinerea (Argyle 

 apple), E. australiana (Narrow-leaf peppermint), and E. dives (Broad-leaf peppermint) are 

 at present the chief sources of commercial oils in New South Wales. The test-organisms 

 employed to determine the toxicity of the oils were Micrococcus aureus and Bac. coli communis 

 from serum suspensions. The activity and quality of the oil was found to vary strikingly 

 even within the same tree and also with different specimens of a species. It was affected by 

 altitude and growth conditions in general. On the whole these oils had lower toxicity than 

 phenol. The results of the tests are given in nine tables. The main constituents seemed 

 relatively insignificant with reference to toxic action. Bactericidal power was proportional 

 to the acidity of the oil and assisted by although not caused by it alone. The iodide reaction 

 was no criterion as to the germicidal value of the oils. The vapors of the oils had decided 

 bacterial action. — Eloise Gerry. 



802. Griebel, C, and A. S chafer. Thymus Serpyllum L. als Majoranpulververfal- 

 schung. [Wild thyme as imitation marjoram powder.] Zeitschr. Untersuch. Nahrungs- u. 

 Genussmittel 38: 141-145. 1919. — The chief morphological characteristics of marjoram and 

 of wild and common thyme are compared. — H. G. Barbour. 



803. Grimme, C. Altes and Neues ueber Capsella Bursa pastoris. Mittheilung aus dem 

 Institut fuer angeswandte Botanik. [Old and new facts about capsella bursa pastoris. Com- 

 munication from the institute for applied botany.] Pharm. Zentralhalle Deutschland 60: 

 2:!7-242, 248-251. 1919. — Shepherd's purse has been used since times immemorial as a home 

 remedy, as diuretic and antipyretic. Recent investigations have shown that the drug pos- 

 sesses strongly hemostyptic properties and can be used as a substitute for the high-priced 

 and in Germany unobtainable golden seal. The chemistry of the drug is still to be investi- 

 gated but the medicinal value seems to be partly due to mustard oil which is present in all 

 parts of the plant, but especially in the seeds. — H. Engelhardt. 



804. Gu£rin, P. [Rev. of :Etienne, P. Etude anatomique de la famille des Epacridees. 

 (Anatomic study of the family Epacrideae.) Th6se Doct. Univ. Pharm. Toulouse. 222 p. 116 

 fig. 1919.] Bull. Sci. Pharm. 26: 533. 1919.— The author describes the anatomic structure of 



