436 ASCLEPIADEZ. 
The white cauliflower masses of crystals. obtained in Berlin 
were found to agree closely, as regards their melting point and 
behaviour with solvents, with a substance called Alban, obtained 
by Payen from gutta-percha (Jahresbericht iber die Fortsch. 
der Chimie, 1852, p. 643), they were accordingly named 
Madar-alban. A yellow resin associated with madar-alban in 
the drug was found to agree, in behaviour with reagents, with 
the Fluavil found by Payen in gutta-percha, but as regards 
chemical composition the madar-alban and madar-fluavil 
differed from the alban and fluavil of gutta-percha, Dr. 
“Warden also separated from the drug a yellow bitter resin, 
‘which is probably the active principle, and Caoutchouc. 
He found the percentage of the various principles (the re- 
sults being calculated on the bark containing 8°079 per cent. 
of water) to be— © 
Madar-alban 0640 
Madar-fluavil ........... 2°471 
Black acid resin ° 0°997 
Caoutchouc free from M.-alban and M.-fluavil...0°855 
Yellow bitter resin (active principle) .:.......... 0-093 
The fact that the sap of the Madar plant contains in addi- 
tion to Caoutchouc two principles analogous to the alban and 
fluavil of gutta-percha is a point of some interest, as madar 
gutta-percha has been recommended as a substitute for the 
‘commercial article. For full particulars of the chemical exa- 
“Inination, see Pharm. Journ, Aug. 22nd, 1885. ae 
{ - Towicologye—In India Calotropis juice is used for the ‘pur- 
= pose of infanticide by the castes among which that custom 
prevails, being, placed in the mouth of newly-born female 
infants, It is also, like other emeto-cathartics, sometimes taken 
.by women to procure abortion, and a few cases are on record 
of its haying been used for suicidal purposes. Like other 
irritant vegetable juices it is not uncommonly used locally to 
_ produce abortion ; usually a stick is armed with cotton impreg- 
nated with the juice and an attempt is made to. introduce it 
into the os uteri, and leave it there untj] uterine contr ctions 
