526 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



1913 



American manufacturer to follow these directions becomes evi- 

 dent from the examination of various commercial samples. Dur- 

 ing the winter and spring of 1910, a number of commercial 

 samples of male-fern rhizomes were examined in the pharmacy 

 laboratories of the University of Wisconsin. These samples were 

 purchased from importers and drug millers in different parts 

 of the United States, and comprised specimens of the whole and 

 peeled rhizomes. Only one sample showed the presence of the 

 green rhizomes in considerable quantity, 53.7 per cent; the re- 

 mainder varied from to 18 per cent. One sample of 10 kilo- 

 grams purchased from a drug miller in the Middle West was not 

 male fern at all, but was identified as the rhizomes of Osmunda. 

 The accompanying table shows the results of the examination : 



Table I. — Content of green rhizomes in samples of male fern purchased 

 from drug millers and jobbers. 



Sam- 

 ple No. 



Purchased 

 in- 



Content 

 of green 



rhi- 

 zomes. 



Sam- 

 ple No. 



Purchased 

 in— 



Content i 

 of green 



rhi- 

 zomes. 



1 

 2 

 3 





Per cent. 



8.0 



.0 



53.7 



4 



e 



6 



December 



do _ 



do 



Per cent. 

 6.5 

 18.0 

 •.0 



do 



do 



■ Contained rhizomes of Osmunda only. 



During the present year, samples have been imported from the 

 United States and Europe and examined in this laboratory upon 

 their arrival. The samples were purchased in 1 kilogram lots. 

 The parts showing an internal green color on breaking were 

 separated from those showing an internal brown color. Table 

 II shows the percentage of green rhizomes obtained. 



Table II. — Percentage of green rhizomes in samples of male fern. 



Purchased in- 



Sample No.— 



1. 



2. 



United States-. 





Per cent. 



0.0 



.0 



4.25 



Percent. 

 9.2 





.0 





R S 





.0 .0 



Manila, P. I - - -- 



.0 









The samples were not uniform, some consisting of the peeled 

 rhizomes with stipe bases and chaff and, in one case, almost com- 



