﻿50 
  J. 
  S. 
  Brown 
  — 
  Bernardinite 
  : 
  a 
  Mineral 
  or 
  a 
  Fungus 
  f 
  

  

  are 
  apparently 
  enclosed 
  in 
  a 
  network 
  of 
  fibers. 
  The 
  granules 
  

   are 
  about 
  a 
  millimeter 
  in 
  width 
  and 
  vary 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  

   milimeters 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  when 
  carefully 
  removed 
  and 
  frac- 
  

   tured 
  they 
  break 
  up 
  into 
  transparent 
  irregular 
  particles. 
  If 
  

   the 
  granules 
  are 
  dissolved 
  in 
  alcohol 
  there 
  remains 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  

   microscopic 
  mycelial 
  threads 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  hair 
  lines 
  in 
  

   figure 
  4, 
  and 
  more 
  clearly 
  shown 
  in 
  figure 
  5. 
  Miss 
  South 
  worth,* 
  

   of 
  the 
  Agricultural 
  Department, 
  after 
  studying 
  both 
  specimens, 
  

   declared 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  identical, 
  and 
  found 
  that 
  these 
  microscopic 
  

   fibers 
  are 
  arranged 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  parallel 
  manner, 
  and 
  some- 
  

   times 
  great 
  numbers 
  are 
  closely 
  bound 
  together 
  or 
  wound 
  

   around 
  each 
  other, 
  forming 
  a 
  distinct 
  branching 
  cord 
  up 
  to 
  

   half 
  a 
  millimeter 
  in 
  diameter. 
  The 
  fibers 
  are 
  also 
  branching, 
  

   wavy 
  in 
  outline, 
  with 
  thick 
  colorless 
  wall, 
  narrow 
  thread-like 
  

   lumen, 
  and 
  occasional 
  swellings. 
  They 
  are 
  often 
  terminated 
  by 
  

   forms 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  figure 
  6, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  other 
  features 
  

   which 
  must, 
  however, 
  be 
  left 
  to 
  the 
  mycologist 
  to 
  investigate. 
  

  

  Just 
  what 
  function 
  this 
  resinous 
  material 
  plays 
  in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  

   the 
  plant 
  is 
  not 
  now 
  known. 
  Its 
  presence 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  acciden- 
  

   tal, 
  for 
  its 
  association 
  witlrthe 
  fungus 
  is 
  persistent 
  over 
  a 
  wide 
  

   area. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  conceive 
  of 
  a 
  fungus 
  penetrating 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  

   resin 
  with 
  such 
  regularity. 
  It 
  would 
  seem 
  more 
  probable 
  that 
  

   the 
  irritation 
  of 
  its 
  presence 
  caused 
  an 
  exudation 
  from 
  the 
  tree 
  

   which 
  was 
  appropriated 
  by 
  the 
  fungus 
  either 
  for 
  its 
  nourishment 
  

   or 
  its 
  preservation 
  from 
  destruction. 
  

  

  A 
  final 
  word 
  concerning 
  the 
  supposed 
  medicinal 
  and 
  histor- 
  

   ical 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  fungus 
  may 
  be 
  interesting. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  W. 
  W. 
  Calkins 
  of 
  Chicago, 
  who 
  has 
  described 
  a 
  speci- 
  

   men 
  obtained 
  from 
  Michigan, 
  asserts 
  that 
  this 
  substance 
  is 
  

   employed 
  by 
  lumbermen, 
  and 
  was 
  used 
  by 
  soldiers 
  during 
  the 
  

   war, 
  as 
  a 
  substitute 
  for 
  quinine, 
  and 
  that 
  its 
  tonic 
  effect 
  is 
  

   undoubted. 
  Attention 
  was 
  called 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Ellis 
  to 
  the 
  state- 
  

   ment 
  by 
  Fries 
  that 
  the 
  old 
  Greek 
  botanist 
  Dioscorides 
  was 
  

   acquainted 
  with 
  this 
  fungus 
  and 
  its 
  medicinal 
  qualities 
  and 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  mentioned 
  in 
  his 
  u 
  Materia 
  Medica," 
  published 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  reign 
  of 
  Nero. 
  Those 
  engaged 
  in 
  therapeutic 
  research 
  

   may 
  find 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  intensely 
  bitter 
  " 
  waxy 
  substance 
  " 
  

   obtained 
  by 
  Professor 
  Stillman 
  interesting. 
  

  

  If 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  an 
  accurate 
  determination 
  and 
  presenta- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  facts 
  involved, 
  there 
  only 
  remains 
  the 
  question 
  : 
  

   Can 
  the 
  substance 
  confined 
  within 
  the 
  meshes 
  of 
  this 
  fungus 
  

   be 
  properly 
  considered 
  a 
  new 
  or 
  even 
  a 
  true 
  mineral 
  resin 
  ? 
  

   Should 
  not 
  bernardinite 
  disappear 
  from 
  mineralogic 
  literature 
  

   and 
  be 
  found 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  future 
  in 
  that 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  vener- 
  

   able 
  Polyporous 
  officinalis 
  f 
  

  

  Washington, 
  D. 
  C, 
  March, 
  1891. 
  

  

  * 
  Miss 
  Southworth 
  made 
  drawings 
  5 
  and 
  6. 
  

  

  