46 = LYTHRACEZ. ~ 
has recommended the use of an extract free from tannic acid; « 
ie 
Sept. 18, p. 556.) ‘The extract is prepared by treating 
decoction of the bark with milk of lime to remove the tannic 
acid, filtering, neutralizing the filtrate exactly with sulphurie 
acid, evaporating it on a water bath almost to dryness, treatin 
the residue with 70 percent. alcohol, and then driving off 
alcohol from the extract obtained, the product is described 
nearly entirely crystalline and soluble in water with a slight 
turbidity. Theyieldis about one gram of extract from twenty 
grams of bark. In order to retard as much as possible thé 
absorption of the pelletierine, which is present in the ext 
as a sulphate, it is recommended to add to this quantity on 
or two grains of tannic acid to convert the alkaloid into 
difficultly soluble tannate. 
It has been stated occasionally that the administration 0 
pelletierine to adults has been followed by symptoms of poison 
ing, though not very serious ones, and this has caused hesita- 
tion in administering it to children. Some recently reporte 
cases appear, however, to indicate that the physiological a 
of this tenifuge is relatively less energetic in infants ¢ 
in adults. (Archiv. der Pharm., Sept. 1886, p. 409.) 
Méplain administered six centigrams of pelletierine toa ch 
two and a half years old, and Dr. Bétencés the same quantity 
to a child five years old without the least symptom of poisonin; 
but with the removal of the worm in both cases. In anothé 
case a dose of ten centigrams was successfully administe 
to a child ten years of age. (Pharm. Journ., Oct. 2, 1886.) 
Description.—The fruit of the pomegranate tree, in 
nical language a balausta, is a spherical somewhat flattened 2 
obscurely six-sided berry of the size of a c 
often much larger, crowned by the thick, tubular, 5 to9-too 
calyx. Ithasa smooth, hard, coriaceous skin, which, chou 
fruit is ripe, isof a brownish yellow tint, often finely ee 
