240 PHARMACOGNOSY [Bot. Absts. 



1672. Menon, C. Raruxakara. Embelia ribes — a medicine for influenza. Indian For- 

 ester 45: 210. 1919. — Root decoctions of the plant — Family Myrsinaceae — reported as an 

 effective cure and preventive of influenza during the recent epidemic in South Kanara. — 

 J. R. Schramm. 



1G73. Viehover, Arno. Chinese colza — A valuable new oil seed. Oil, Paint and Drug 

 Reporter 96 10 : 53. 4 fid- 1919. — Calling attention to the shifting centers of production due 

 to war conditions, the author refers to the increased importance of oriental countries as sources 

 of oil seeds. — Prior to the war Chinese and Japanese seeds were practically unknown in U. 

 S. A. But so great is the shortage in Europe that these oil seeds are likely to come into Amer- 

 ican markets from the Orient for some years. Entering at San Francisco, these Chinese 

 seeds were at first marketed as "Golden Gate" seeds and offered as mustard, to which they 

 bear a striking resemblance in appearance. They are quite lacking in pungency, however, 

 and taste more like cabbage than mustard. The seeds are somewhat smaller than those of 

 white mustard which they closely resemble except in taste. They were identified as the 

 seed of Brassica campestris, var. Chinensis, related to the "China cabbage" and "celery 

 cabbage." The microscopic characters are similar to those of the common colzas or rape 

 seeds. They yield 40-50 per cent of fatty oil similar to that from rape. The marc yielded, 

 upon maceration with water, from 0.4 to 0.6 per cent of a volatile oil, identified as "crotonyl 

 mustard oil," found also in rape seed, and quite different in physiological characters from the 

 volatile oil "allyl mustard oil" obtained from the true mustards. Crotonyl mustard oil is 

 but slightly pungent and irritating and is not poisonous, while allyl mustard oil is highly 

 irritating and poisonous. The basal leaves of the young plant are succulent and should be 

 valuable for salad. The plant is hardy and may prove a desirable forage crop. Illustra- 

 tions of the fruiting plant, the basal leaves and the seeds, both yellow and brown, accompany 

 the article, the complete manuscript of which will be published in a bulletin of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. — W. B. Day. 



MEDICINAL PLANT CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



1674. Alsberg, Carl L., Arxo Viehoever, and Clare Olix Ewixg. Some effects of 

 the war upon crude drug importations. Jour. Amcr. Pharm. Assoc. 8: 459-471. 1919. — A 

 comprehensive report of the effect of war conditions on drug imports and spices. Eighteen 

 well known drug products are considered, the data being set forth in tabular form showing 

 the imports (in thousands of pounds), declared value per pound and wholesale price of selected 

 grades for the years 1913 to 1918 inclusive. Imports of these eighteen commodities with the 

 exception of buchu, gentian and crude opium showed a marked falling off from the figures of 

 1913, these products being among the list of those on which new tariff duties were placed. 

 An interesting account of drug adulteration follows which the authors divide into five sec- 

 tions as follows: (1) Material containing toxic foreign matter; (2) Material of value as 

 substitutes for recognized products; (3) Material unsuitable for use as substitutes for recog- 

 nized products, but valuable for other purposes; (4) Material of uncertain value, requiring 

 further study; (5) Material of no known value. Data is presented on adulterations under 

 the various divisions. — Anton Hogstad Jr. 



1675. Cushmax, Allerton S. Growing medicinal plants in America. Jour. Heredity 

 10: 32-38. Fig. 1-3. 1919— See Bot. Absts. 3, Entry 1061. 



1676. Clute, Willard N. Officinal drugs of the United States. Amer. Bot. 25: 47-50. 

 1919. — A list of the native plants thai may be substituted for official drugs with notes on 

 how and where to sell them. — W. N. Clute. 



1677. Co ex, M. M. A. Valeriana officinalis. Pharm. Weekblad 56: 735-755. 1919— The 

 best paper submitted in a contest on this subject conducted by the Dutch society for the ad- 

 vancement of pharmacy. The author gives a very complete description of the plant in the 

 different stapes of development, of its cultivation and of the chemical estimation of its 

 constituents.— //. Engelhardt. 



