154 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [May 



which are attached numerous roots, u'eiierally not over i 

 cm. thick, and often much thinner; these are lighter in 

 color than the root-stock, show here and there trans- 

 verse fissures (Fig. 1), and resemble many varieties of 

 false ipecacuanha, especially Richardsonia. In general 

 appearance it is so like senega, that its presence seems 

 to have been overlooked; it differs, however, in the ab- 

 sence of a keel. 



The structure of the root is verv characteristic. A 

 transverse section (Fig. 2) exhibits "a radiate wood with- 

 out pith and a cortex, in which a narrow pale outer por- 

 tion can be easily distinguished from a darker inner part. 

 Next to the cork is a layer of large compressed cells 

 (primary bark), containing here and there a cluster crys- 

 tal of calcium oxalate. Between this and the secondary 

 l)ark is a layer of four or five rows of cork cells, the 

 outer of which have undergone an unusual radial elong- 

 ation (Figs. 4 and 5), in consequence of which the primary 

 bark has become compressed, and is eventually thrown 

 off". The cortex contains numerous cluster-crystals of 

 calcium oxalate and starch in compound or simple grains 

 reaching .015 mm. in length (Fig. 3). The wood is re- 

 markable for the fact that the medullary rays are ligni- 

 fied, whilst in the xylem rays only the middle lamella 

 yields the lignin reaction. 



The Triosteum root contains an alkaloid which Andree 

 considered identical with emetine. Hartwich, however, 

 was unable to obtain the characteristic reaction with 

 liydrochloric acid and chlorinated lime, and concludes, 

 therefore, that the alkaloid is not emetine. — Abstract of 

 a paper in the Archiv. d. Pharm. 



Anthrax in Fox. — Prof. Bujuid reports that a fox kept 

 in a cage for some months and fed on a rabbit dead of an- 

 thrax took the disease and died on the third day. Cultures 

 made from the clotted blood and of the heart an^ other 

 gave anthrax bacilli. (Centralblatt f. Bakt. u Parasitenk.) 



