192 POWDERED VEGETABLE DRUGS 



7. (Fig. 8.) ALOE. Aloes. U. S. 

 Fine Powder. 



G. and Fr. names same as the English. 



The inspissated juice from Aloe Perryi Baker (Socotrine aloes); 

 Aloe vera L. (Barbadoes or Curacao aloes); and Aloe ferox Miller 

 (Cape aloes). Liliaceae. 



Deep reddish brown. 



Peculiar odor recalling saffron and iodoform. Aromatic. 



Very bitter, somewhat aromatic. 



Barbadoes aloes is more granular than Socotrine aloes, and the 

 latter is more shiny. Impurities of dirt and vegetable parenchyma 

 cells may be considerable, particularly in the Barbadoes aloes. Water 

 and alcohol mounts show a fairly characteristic crystalline structure, 

 consisting of fragments, prismatic crystals and stellate clusters which 

 differ in the three principal commercial varieties, namely Barbadoes, 

 Socotrine and Cape aloes as shown in Fig. 8. 



Ash of Socotrine aloes should not exceed 2.5 per cent. 



Aloes are not often adulterated. Impurities may be excessive. 



