352 IPOMCEA SIMULANS CHLORAL. 



1870. unlike the corresponding parts of /. purga, and furnish a ready 

 means of distinguishing the two species : 



Ipomcea simulans, sp. nov. Radice tuberosa, caule volubili 

 herbaceo glabro, foliis ovatis, acuminatis, cordatis v. sagittatis, 

 indivisis, pedunculis unifloris solitariis, sepalis parvis. 

 Habitat. Hob. in Andibus Mexicanis Sierra Gorda dictis, prov. Gua- 

 najuato (fide cl. Finck) ; in regione frigida ad ped. 8000 prope 

 Oaxaca (H. Galeotti, No. 1369 !). 



Radix. Radix napiformis v. subglobosa v. elongata, carnosa, 2-3 poll, 



longa, basi fi brill osa. Caules herbacei, graciles. Folia glaber- 

 rima, 2-4 pollicaria, 1-2 poll, lata, lobis baseos acutis v. rotun- 

 datis v. subtruncatis, petiolo tenui, lj-2J-pollicari. Pedunculi 

 axil! ares, petiolurn subasquantes, penduli, uniflori v. in planta 

 vegetiore novelli alabrastra duo ferentes, altero semper (ut 

 videtur) abortive. Pedicelli incrassati, basi bracteis 2 minutis. 

 Sepala ovata, obtusa, exteriora paullulum breviora. Corolla 

 infundibuliformis, 1^2 poll, longa, glabra, rosea, pallide striata. 

 Stigma bilobum. Capsula calycern superans, conica, 2 locularis, 

 valvis 4 coriaceis. Semina glabia. 



Description of the Plate. Fig. 1, Calyx and pistil; 2, Ovary; 

 3, Mature capsule : all magnified. 



NOTE ON CHLORAL. 



(Chloral hydrat ah arzneimittefy 



1869. AT the British Pharmaceutical Conference held at Exeter, the 



President (Mr. Hanbury) drew the attention of the meeting to a 

 specimen of Hydrate of Chloral received from Berlin, where it has 

 been introduced as a remedial agent by Dr. Oscar Liebreich. 

 Chloral in an anhydrous state is a heavy, volatile, colourless 

 liquid produced by the action of chlorine upon alcohol and 

 having the composition C 2 C1 3 OH. If this body is brought into 

 contact with a small proportion of water, the two combine and 

 a solid crystalline hydrate is the result. This substance is ex- 

 tremely soluble in water, affording when pure a neutral solution 

 which is unacted on by nitrate of silver or by acids, but which 

 is immediately decomposed by a caustic alkali, chloroform being 

 set free. This property suggested to Liebreich the idea of em- 

 ploying it therapeutically. He conceived that if it were brought 

 into contact with the blood, chloroform would be evolved in a 



