478 LILIAOEM \ 



the injection; no blood in vomit or stool; the cat was not 

 othenvise afEected in any way. The aqueous extract consisted 

 chiefly of gum. 



The fresh squill iu slices distilled with water afforded a 

 distillate possessing an aromatic odour, but in which no 

 appreciable amount of oil was visible. The distillate was agitated 

 with ether 3 on spontaneous evaporation of the other, a minute 

 trace of a white greasy residue was left, possessing an aroinatic 

 odour— applied to the skin no irritation was induced, "We ar^ 

 indebted to Assistant Surgeon C. L. Bose for the above 

 analysis, which was conducted in the Chemical Examiner's 

 Laboratory, Calcutta. 



Substitutes for Sqiiills.—The bulbs of different species of 

 Ledebouria (Scilla, Lmn,) are sold in the Indian bazars under 

 vernacular names which are equivalent to "small squill," 

 L. hyacinthoidesh said by Ainslie to be used by farriers in South- 

 ern India for the relief of strangury and in fevers occurring in 

 horses. {Mat. Ind., {., p. 402.) From Dr. Hovd we learn 

 that the bulbs were used in the Colaba Hospital, Bombay, by 

 Mr. Guise, the Surgeon of the island in 1787, instead of squills. 

 For many years they were issued from the Bombay Medical 

 Stores in lieu of squills {Indian Joiirn. of Med. Phys. 8d.^ Jan, 

 18th, 1838, p. 9), but of late years Urginea indica has been in 

 use ; both appear to be equally satisfactory substitutes for 



squills • 



X. hyacinthoides has a scaly bulb, about the size and shape of 

 a small pear, composed of very smooth and fleshy scales, which 



are so 1 



miffht be mistaken 



if not carefully examined; the exterior scales are dry and 

 whitey-brown, the interior fleshy and oream-coloured ; the 

 odour is nauseous ; the taste bitter and acrid. 



Bulbs, the size of a large nut, purchased by one of us in the 

 Bombay shops, which we have cultivated, proved to be those of 

 Ledebouria maculatay Dalz. The leaves were obovate, glabrous, 

 wedge-shaped, attenuated into the petiole, purple spotted, and 

 never bearing bulbs ; scapes bearinsr a manv-flowered raceme 



