HOP SUBSTITUTES. 125 



packed, soon acquired a high reputation. Then Germany 

 and Austria took up the culture, and by careful selection 

 obtained pure and delicate flavoured plants. 



Now there are many principal varieties, as has already 

 been indicated. 



Among the bitter and tonic substances which have been used 

 as substitutes %i hops are the bark of some species of pine 

 and willow, cascarilla bark, quassia, gentian, colocynth, walnut 

 leaf, wormwood bitter, cloves, extract of aloes, cocculus indicus 

 berries, colocynth seeds, capsicum, belladonna, nux vomica, 

 Ledwn palustre, box leaves, Menyanihes trifoliaia, Gnicus 

 benedictus, Erythrsea Centaurium, ground ivy, Daphne Meze- 

 reum, &c. ; recently picric acid has been employed. Although 

 all these substances impart a bitter taste to beer, they are 

 inferior to hops. Many of them contain the same con- 

 stituents, namely, tannic acid, a resin, a bitter extractive, and 

 an essential oil. 



Cascarilla bark, used as a tonic, has very wholesome quali- 

 ties, a pleasant and strong bitterness, and was for some time 

 held in considerable repute among the faculty. About half a 

 century ago large shipments were made from the Bahamas. 

 It was found upon adulteration with hops to reduce the cost 

 of that article, and for the encouragement of the hop growers 

 a prohibitory import duty was laid upon it by the Home 

 Government ; consequently it became an unsaleable product. 



The list of the principal adulterants, with their scientific 

 names, would seem to be as follows : 



Quassia wood ...... Quassia amara, Simaruba officinalis. 



Wild Rosemary .. .. Ledum palustre. 



Wormwood or Absinthe .. " ^ mutdlina > 



Water Trefoil ...... Menyanthes t rifoliata. 



