100 ZYGOPHYLLEiE. 



In English price-currents, eight sorts of linseed are enumerated, 

 namely, English, Calcutta, Bombay, Egyptian, Black Sea and Azof, 

 Petersburg, Riga, Archangel. The first three appear to fetch the 

 highest prices. 



Uses — In medicine, linseed is chiefly used in the form of poultice 

 which may be made either of the seed simply ground or of the pulver- 

 ized cake. In either case the powder should not be long stored, as the 

 oil in the comminuted seed is rapidly oxidized and fatty acids produced. 

 An infusion of the seeds called Linseed Tea is a common popular 

 demulcent remedy. 



Adulteration — Linseed is very liable to adulteration with other 

 seeds, especially when the commodity is scarce. The admixture in 

 question is due in part to careless harvesting and in part to intentional 

 additions. In 1864 the impure condition of the linseed shipped to the 

 English market had become so detrimental to the trade that the im- 

 porters and crushers founded an association called The Linseed Asso- 

 ciation of London, bj^ which they bound themselves to refuse all lin- 

 seed containing more than 4 per cent, of foreign seeds, and this step 

 very rapidly improved the quality of the article.^ 



As the druggist has to purchase linseed meal, he must of neces- 

 sity rely to some extent on the character of the oil-presser from whom 

 he derives his supplies. The presence of the seeds of Cruciferce (as 

 rape and mustard) which is common, may be recognized by the pun- 

 gent odour of the essential oil which they develope in contact with 

 water. The introduction of cereals would also be easily discovered by 

 iodine, which strikes no blue colour in a decoction of linseed. The 

 microscope will also afford important aid in the examination of linseed 

 cake or meal. 



ZYGOPHYLLE^. 



LIGNUM GUAIACI. 



Lignum sanctum ; Guaiacum Wood, Lignum Vitce ; F. Bois de 

 Game ; G. Guaiahholz, Pockholz. 



Botanical Origin — This wood is furnished by two West Indian 

 species of Guaiacum, namely : — 



1. G. officinale L., a middle-sized or low evergreen tree, with light 

 blue flowers, paripinate leaves having ovate, very obtuse leaflets in 2, 

 less often in 3 pairs, and 2-celled fruits. It grows in Cuba, Jamaica 

 (abundantly on the arid plains of the south side of the island), Les 

 Gonaives in the N.W. of Hayti (plentiful), St. Domingo, Martinique, 

 St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad, and the northern coast of the South 

 American continent. This tree affords the Lignum Vitae of Jamaica 

 (of which very little is imported), a portion of that shipped from the 

 ports of Hayti, and probably the small quantity exported by the United 

 States of Colombia. 



2. G. sanctum L., a tree much resembling the preceding, but distin- 

 guishable by its leaves having 3 to 4 pairs of leaflets which are very 



1 Greenish in Yearbook of Pharmacy, 1871. 590; Pharm. Joum. Sept. 9, 1871. 211. 



