344 CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



1867. Tinnevelly senna, which is but a cultivated form of the senna 

 Tinnevelly produced on the shores of the Eed Sea, and known from its 

 senna. port of shipment to Europe as Bombay senna. How remark- 

 able the contrast between these two drugs ! "Would not similar 

 Columba advantages be derived from the cultivation in India of Columba 

 root? This drug as imported is invariably found to be more 

 or less worm-eaten and is often in other respects ill-conditioned 

 defects attributable, as I believe, to the slovenly manner in which 

 it is dried, stored and packed. The plant, which is indigenous 

 to Mozambique, flourishes perfectly in Mauritius and would pro- 

 bably thrive with equal luxuriance in Ceylon and Continental 

 India. 



Hemidesmus There are two other drugs which I have of ten thought it would 

 ChTretta 1 ^ e a( ^vantageous to procure in a better condition than we now 

 usually find them ; and these are Hemidesmus root and Chiretta, 

 both of which are often imported in an unsound state. Some 

 of the former, kindly collected for me in Madras by Dr. Lestock 

 Stewart, contrasted most favourably with the Hemidesmus 

 ordinarily imported. 



Jalap. Another drug which it appears to me might be obtained in 



far better condition by the exercise of more intelligent skill is 

 jalap, but as I have prepared some remarks in a separate form 

 upon this drug I will not in this place say more. 



Let me in conclusion commend attention to the words with 

 which I commenced this paper the necessity for a further 

 cultivation of medicinal plants. [N. Eepert.f. Pharm. xvi., 365.] 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF JALAP. 



(Cultur der Jalapenwinde, Iponicea Purga.) 



1867. THE considerations which render it expedient that the culti- 



vation of jalap should be attempted in some other country than 

 that in which the plant is indigenous, are the following : 



1. The present supply of jalap is precarious and fluctuating. 



2. The drug is often of bad quality even when genuine, owing 

 to the rude method in which the tubers are dried, and frequently 

 to their having been collected while too young and small. 



