116 PHARMACOGNOSY [Bot. Absts., Vol. VI, 



824. Smith, E. Philip. Plant dermatitis.— I. Jour. Botany 58: 130-135. 1920.— Plants 

 causing irritation of human skin may be divided into two groups: those having an irritating 

 cell-sap, and those in which the active principle is excreted. Of the former group four cases 

 are discussed in the present paper. Nettle-poisoning is described as caused by the penetration 

 of the skin by slender flask-like hairs, the tips of which break off, allowing the injection of 

 the cell-sap containing formic acid, albuminoids, etc. Formic acid is not a sufficient cause 

 of the irritation especially in extreme cases in the tropics. The symptoms are discussed. 

 Primula-poisoning is due to an oil secreted in the terminal glands of glandular hairs. Cases 

 of Primula-poisoning are sometimes severe. Rhus poisoning was found by Paff to be due to 

 an oil, which he extracted and purified. This is produced by all parts of the plant, even the 

 pollen. Thorough scrubbing with soap and water is the best remedy. In the Scilly Isles the 

 flower pickers are troubled by a "lily disease" which is due to the juice of various species of 

 Narcissus. Oil of jonquil is not the cause of this, but probably the raphides, which are 

 abundant. An abraded skin seems prerequisite in this case. — K. M. Wiegand. 



825. Smith, W. G. Special strains of medicinal plants by selection. Pharm. Jour. 104: 

 116. 1920. — While agricultural plant-breeding is largely done by public bodies and the results 

 are published, experiments in medicinal plant-breeding are mostly by private cultivators, 

 who naturally keep to themselves valuable information regarding improved production or qual- 

 ity. Cultivation, manuring and treatment may produce larger plants, but rarely change 

 internal qualities such as the nature and yield of active principles. Increased yield or 

 improved quality of active principles is brought about by the constant selection of the best 

 individual plants in these respects and the production of pure lines from them. Hybridiza- 

 tion, yielding new combinations, extends the range of possible improvement in any required 

 direction. Many illustrations are cited, particularly, the great improvement made in recent 

 years in French lavender with the development of Lavendula vera fragrans and L. v. delphini- 

 ensis; and the increased yield and improved quality of Hungarian mint oils from Mentha crispa 

 and M. piperita; and the greatly enriched strains of American grown belladonna, stramonium 

 and hyoscyamus. — E. N. Gathercoal. 



826. Viehoever, Arno, and Joseph F. Clevenger. Relative content of volatile oil and 

 ash in sage leaves and stems. Jour. Amer. Pharm. Assoc. 9: 563-567. 2 fig. 1920. — Examina- 

 tion of various parts of the sage plant, showed that the amount of volatile oil (volatile ether 

 extract) found in the leaves was about three times as much as in the stem, the ratio being, 

 1.63:0.60, 1.26:0.49, 1.18:0.48, 1.06:0.29, 0.92:0.24; the herbaceous parts of the axis located 

 close to or representing the top of the plant, yielded more volatile ether extract than the 

 woody basal portions of the axis, the ratio being about 0.9 per cent : 0.2 per cent. Examina- 

 tion of material collected in Maryland and Virginia showed it to be below 1 per cent of vola- 

 tile ether extract, which the authors state is quite likely explained by the fact that the mate- 

 rial was collected in late summer or fall. Materials from Wisconsin yielded higher amounts. 

 As the stems yielded considerably less of volatile ether extract than the leaves, a limitation 

 of their amount is justified. Microscopic examination showed that the glands and glandular 

 hairs containing the volatile oil are to be found only in the epidermis of leaves, petioles and 

 herbaceous stems. They were found to be most abundant on the leaves, either upper or 

 lower sides, and completely absent on woody stems. — Domestic sages indicate a tendency to 

 possess a high total, and especially acid-insoluble, ash content. Leaves contain more ash 

 than stems. A description of the glands and glandular hairs are included in the article. — 

 Anton Ifogstad, Jr. 



827. Zakrzecki, H. L. H. Java cinchona bark sales and analysis. (Through Allgem. 



. Landbouwweekblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie, Nov. 22, 1919.) Chem. & Druggist 92: 390. 

 1920. — Growers are required to present to the Quinine Bureau their analysis of the sample of 

 bark sent to the quinine manufacturer. If the manufacturer's analysis of the sample is higher 

 than the planter's, the latter hears nothing of it, but if the manufacturer's analysis is lower 

 by 0.15 per cent or more, of quinine sulphate, he has the right to reject the planter's analysis 



