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Some Drug Adulterants of Note. 

 John S. Wright. 



[Abstract.] 



Phytolacca decandra L.— Tlie leaves, inflorescence and young fruit- 

 ing racemes were found mixed to tlie extent of about thirty per cent, in 

 bales of belladonna leaves received in Indianapolis from Germany, Decem- 

 ber, 1S98. Since then the writer has not found them as an adulterant, 

 though many other lots have been carefully searched. The presence of 

 Phytolacca was first betrayed l)y the abundance of young flowering and 

 fruiting racemes. Deprived of these, Phytolacca leaves make a very clever 

 adulterant for belladonna leaves, as the two resemble in many particulars, 

 especially when dried and crushed or compressed in the manner customary 

 for shipment. Critical examination, however, reveals many differences 

 of odor, texture, color, size, shape and other gross characters. 



Since this report was made, in December, 1901, the writer has found 

 that Dr. C. Hartwich [Schweitz. Wochensch. f. Chem. u. Pharm., 1901, p. 

 430] gives an account of a similar discovery. Furthermore, Dr. Hart- 

 wich pdints out some of the histological differences between the two, so 

 that, according to established rules, he deserves the credit of iwiority. 



*Gexista tixctoria D.— The flowering and leafy stems of this plant 

 have been recently offered, tmmixed and neatly baled, on the American 

 markets as "flowering" Scoparius— Cytissus Scoparius (L.) Link. When 

 baled. Genista bears a superficial resemblance to the official Scoparius; 

 however, the purchaser who accepts it as such is certainly a very careless 

 or incompetent inspector of drugs. The botanical characters of the two are 

 too well known to need mention here. Medicinally they are unrelated. 



RuTzoME AND STIPES OF FERN— SPECIES UNDETERMINED— are frequently 

 offered for the official male fern or Asindium. The official drug should con- 

 sist of the recent rhizomes and stipes of Dryopteris Filix-mas (L.) Schott, 

 and D. marginalis (L.) Gray, deprived of all non-green tissues. The spuri- 

 ous rhizome is smaller and structurally very imlike the true drug. It has 

 never been observed in the recent state by the writer; contains practically 

 no extractives, and may be regarded as worthless. So far, neither its 

 geographical nor its botanical source has been leai-ned. At times the 

 market offerings would indicate that it constitutes about one-half of the 

 available supply of so-called male fern. 



'•■An e.xamination of the authorities disclosed but one reference to it as an adulterant: 

 " Do not confuse with Scoparius."— King's Am. Disp., Revision by Lloyd and Felter. 



