113 
thick-walled cells that give strength and toughness to woods and 
pe. psicum 
should be made by grinding up peppers from which the stems 
and hulls (calyx) have been removed. When a careless or greedy 
miller violates this rule, these fibers tell the story. 
Gentian, although a large root, is another drug that contains 
no fiber, as you see by this picture, yet I have last year con- 
demned two very large lots which consisted to the extent of 50 
per cent. of coarse fiber, perhaps old bags or ropes ground up. 
One of the most valuable drugs at the present day, from both 
a’pecuniary and medicinal point of view, is the root of Hydrastis 
or golden seal. Its price, about $2.00 per pound, makes it a 
favorite article for adulteration, since a very handsome profit can 
be made by adding only Io per cent. or even § per cent. of cheap 
adulterant, an amount that may readily pass undetected. As you 
can see, there are no fibers in it, and almost everything that 
would probably be used for its adulteration, contains them. Nev- 
ertheless, I am satisfied that we know little as yet about the 
adulteratian of this drug, and that we are constantly accepting as 
pure lots that are adulterated. The subject is one most in nee 
of investigation. This picture is of great interest, since it displays 
two crystals that you would think, after previous explanations, 
consist of calcium oxalat ey are in reality the sulphates of 
two ay aoe alkaloids, ee and berberine, which occur 
in this 
We ee now given considerable attention to the inner elements 
of the plant; let us consider some of the externals. Many years 
ago I was deeply impressed by the publication by one of our sci- 
entific directors, Mr. Charles F. Cox, of a valuable paper on a 
subject then little known, the characteristic features of plant 
hairs, or trichomes. I remember with what surprise I read his 
statement that in many cases the family of a plant could be de- 
termined by examining its hairs. Since then I have come to see 
these trichomes used for the unerring determination, not of fam- 
ilies merely, but of species of plants in the form of dust powders. 
