298 PHARMACOGNOSY [BoT. Absts., Vol. VII, 



2076. Anonymous. Annual Report, Cinchona Department, Madras. 1918-19. Through 

 Chem. and Druggist 93: 1345. 1920. — Acreage has increased during the year from 1184 to 

 1348 acres fully stocked with trees. Factory has worked up 707,000 pounds of bark, viz., 

 12,800 pounds of Java-grown C. ledgeriana, 408,520 pounds locally purchased C. officinalis, 

 and 285,870 pounds government bark, producing 39,633 pounds of alkaloids. The average 

 analysis was 3.66 per cent of quinine sulphate against 4.59 per cent the previous year. As the 

 supplies from private plantations are decreasing and the government bark does not nearly 

 meet the demand for quinine an urgent appeal is made for extensive new government plan- 

 tations that India may not be at the mercy of foreign growers in Java. — E. N. Gather coal. 



'Xill. Anonymous. Camphor cultivation and substitutes. Chem. and Druggist 93 : 1514. 

 1920. — The camphor tree, Cinnamomum Camphora, is now cultivated in California, Florida, 

 Texas, Manila, Malay States, and Mauritius. In California, Ramona stachyoides , Artemisia 

 trifolium, and A. frigida are being cultivated for camphor. The volatile oil of Ramona 

 stachyoides contains about 40 per cent of camphor. — E. N. Gathercoal. 



2078. Anonymous. Indian industries V — The Mowra tree. Chem. and Druggist 93: 

 1410. 1920. — A very valuable economic tree of India is the mowra, Bassia longifolia. The 

 flowers are used by millions of people as a food. The seeds furnish an abundant oil, suitable 

 for domestic use and soap manufacture, and are of medicinal value in certain skin diseases. 

 The wood is extensively used for building, turnery and furniture. Because of the complete 



i collection of the seed to supply the local and export demand the number of mowra trees, 

 while very great, is constantly decreasing and an appeal is made for extensive government 

 plantings in the government reserve forests. The seedlings develop rapidly even on stony 

 soil and need only protection from grazing cattle. — E. N. Gathercoal. 



2079. Anonymous. The supplement to the French Codex. Pharm. Jour. 105 : 301-302. 

 1920. — Serum Antidysenteric and Serum Antimeningococcic as well as a number of chemicals 

 and gelenicals have been added. Of asafoetida, the permissible residue upon incineration 

 has been raised from 10 to 20 per cent. Balsam of Peru is required to contain by assay from 

 52 to 56 per' cent of cinnamein. Strophanthus in the Codex consisted of the seeds of aS. his- 

 pidus only; now those of S. Kombe may also be used and are described. — E. N. Gathercoal. 



2080. Anonymous. Les vegetaux aromatiques de Madagascar. [Aromatic plants of Mada- 

 gascar.] Schweiz. Apotheker Zeitg. 58: 501-503. 1920. — A brief account is given of the status 

 of the production in Madagascar of Ylang-ylang, Geranium, Clove, Vanilla, Canella, Cham- 

 paca, Eucalyptus, Pepper, Allspice, Nutmeg. Vanilla is the chief product exported from the 

 island. — H. W. Youngken. 



2081. Atkinson, Esmond H. Weeds and their identification. New Zealand Jour Agric. 

 21: 115-119. 1 pi. 1920. — Poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, is reported as occurring in 

 various localities. The plant is described in detail. Plants of similar appearance are also 

 mentioned and differential characters are given. The poisonous effects are described. — 

 N. J. Giddings. 



2082. Barger, George. Ergot: its history and chemistry. Pharm. Jour. 105:470-473. 

 1920. — A very complete r6sum6 of the history of ergotism and epidemics caused by ergot, 

 of the medicinal properties of ergot, and of its botanical and chemical history. The chief 

 active principles of ergot are: (a) the amorphous alkaloid ergotoxine, yielding crystalline 

 salts. Physiologically this alkaloid causes such contraction of the arterioles that the blood 

 supply to an organ may in the long run be cut off completely, causing gangrene. Also, it acts 

 on the nervous system producing convulsions, (b) Histamine — a powerful uterine stimu- 

 lant, (c) Tyramine — the chief blood pressure raising principle, (d) Acetycholine occurs 

 in ergot and ergot extracts in variable and usually negligible amounts. It lowers blood 

 pressure. A large number of physiologically inert substances, alkaloidal, acid, resinous, and 

 oily in nature, are also isolated from ergot. — E. N. Gathercoal. 



