VIII, B, 6 DuMez: Oleoresin of Aspidium 527 



pletely of stipe bases. Those purchased in Manila were at least 

 2 years old, and were badly deteriorated. The rhizomes pur- 

 chased in Germany were obtained in January, and should have 

 shown an internal green coloration had they consisted of the 

 fresh stock harvested in the autumn; from this, it appears that 

 the German supply is not renewed yearly as it should be, but is 

 allowed to accumulate and deteriorate. 



The use of old rhizomes cannot be detected in the extract by 

 any of the previously mentioned assay methods as they show a 

 crude filicin content equal to or greater than the fresh drug. 



The greatest opportunity for adulteration is offered in the 

 powdered rhizomes and, apparently, it has not been overlooked. 

 The Belgian inspectors of pharmacies state that the powdered 

 male fern, little used as such, is often superannuated and has 

 completely lost its green color.-"' In many cases, the drug miller 

 grinds up the entire rhizome including dead portions, chaff, and 

 stipes. Rusby reports -" a sample consisting of nothing but chaff 

 and inert matter and another sample composed entirely of pow- 

 dered Osmunda rhizomes.-' It is not necessary, however, that 

 the drug be powdered to permit of the addition of unofficial spe- 

 cies of fern. Pendorff who '^^ examined 20 samples of commer- 

 cial rhizomes found that 12 contained 50 per cent or more of 

 Aspidium spirmlosum Sw. ; 1 sample contained 90 per cent of the 

 rhizomes of this species. 



The latter form of adulteration may become evident from an 

 assay by one of the analytical processes already mentioned, as the 

 acid bodies present in other species of fern differ from those 

 found in the official species both in their chemical constitution 

 and in the quantities present. Hausmann -^ obtained the follow- 

 ing results upon examination of the etheral extracts of Aspidium 

 filix mas and Aspidium spinulosum. 



Table III. — Constitution of Aspidium filix mas Sw. and Aspidium spinu- 

 losum Sw. 



Species. 



Crude 

 filicin. 



^ JAspidin. 



Aspidium. filix mas Sw 



Per cent. 

 18.0 



Aspidium spinulosum Sw - ! 6.4 



Pel- cent. 

 1.8 

 .0 



Percent. 

 0.0 

 1.1 



■'' Journ. d. Pharm. 4'A.nvers (1909), 65, 550. 



'" Pract. Drug. (1910), 27, 423. 



''Drug. Circ. (1910), 54, 616. 



-' Apoth. Zeitg. (1903), 18, 150-152. 



"Arch. d. Pharm. (1899), 237. 544-556. 



