182 TWENTY-FIRST REPORT. 



gx-eat variety of shades ranging from pink to blue, some even being wliite. 

 They are also interesting, because the petals are prolonged into large hollow- 

 spurs, which are straight, and the flowers of wiiich are scarlet on the 

 outer surface and yellow on the inner. 



9. Bm-ago officinaUs L. (borage, star-flower). This is a European annual 

 with a spreading five-parted blue corolla. The plants abound in mucilage and 

 contain besides considerable potassium nitrate and other salts. 



10. Calendula officmalis !•. (marigold). This is- a plant of the cultivated 

 gardens, but should not be confused with the French or African marigold, of 

 which there are some beautiful double varieties, but which are an entirely 

 different plant, being Tagctes patula L. and Tagetes erecta. L. For a long 

 time a tincture made from the yellow florets was otficial. It is still retained 

 in the National Formulary and used by the homeopathic physicians, who 

 employ a rather excellent preparation made from the fresh florets. 



11. Cannabis sativa L. and the variety indica Lam. (East Indian hemp, 

 or American hemp). The stems yield on retting a fibre known as hemp; the 

 fruit, or so-called seeds, are used as a food for birds, and the resinous tops 

 are official in very many of the pharmacopoeias. For years it w'as tlie Cannabis 

 grown in the East Indies that was used in medicine throughout the world. 

 Within the past few years the Indian government has placed a high tax on 

 every pound of the drug that is grown. The result has been that other supplies 

 were sought, and it was found that the plant could be grown in other parts 

 of the world, and today the hemp plant is cultivated in Asia, Africa and the 

 United States. At first the American drug did not seem to be of like quality, 

 but by careful selection and experimentation a drug has been obtainable from 

 plants grown in the United States which is the equal of that formerly imported 

 from India. 



12. Carum Carvi L. (Caraway, caraway seed). The fruits of this plant 

 are commonly added to cakes and bread to give them an agreeable taste. The 

 fruits are also used in medicine, either in the form of an infusion or an aqueous 

 distillate prepared from them or a volatile oil, which is extracted. The latter 

 contains thymol, which is a specific in the treatment of hookworm. The car-' 

 away plant is a biennial. The fruits are obtained, after it has been cut down 

 and allowed to dry, by threshing the plant on a cloth. For some time back 

 the market supplies have been obtained in part from American grown plants, 

 though its fruits are usually somewhat smaller than those imported from 

 Europe. 



13. Chenopodium Amhrosioides L. var. anthelminticum (L.) Gray (Amer- 

 ican worm seed). About the time that the importations of thymol were con- 

 siderably lessened it was very fortunately ascertained that oil of chenopodium 

 was equally as efficient as thymol in the treatment of both hookworm and 

 tapeworm. Indeed, at the present time it is considered because of its efficiency, 

 low toxicity and ease of administration, the most valuable of all vermifuge 



