ON SOME N.S.W. TAN-SUBSTANCES. 253 



with sanious discharge. They are also used in mucous discharges. 

 Poultices made of the young tender leaves are usually employed 

 by the native practitioners. 



2. Acacia Cebil, Grisebach, (Leguminosae), the red Cebil of the 

 Argentine Republic, contains 6-7 per cent, in the leaves. 

 Another variety, the white Cebil, contains 7 — 8 per cent, in the 

 leaves. 



3. In the Argentine Republic the leaves of Acacia guarensis, 

 1 Grisebach, an Algarobillo, are used (as well as the bark and 

 pods) for tanning. (F. Fol. Moniteur industriel, March 1879). 



-A. Arbutus Uneclo, Linn., (Ericacea?). The " Strawberry tree." 

 Both the leaves and bark are used for tanning in Greece, while 

 the bark alone is used for that purpose in Spain. 



5. Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, Wimm., (Ericacea?), " Bearberry." 

 The whole plant is used for tanning in Russia and Sweden, and 

 the leaves also as an astringent in medicine, finding a place in the 

 British Pharmacopoeia. Meiphen found the leaves to contain no 

 less than 36*4 per cent, of tannin. 



6. Comptonia asplenifolia, Gaertn., (Myricacea>), the " Sweet 

 Fern " of the United States. Dr. McMurtrie found 942 per cent, 

 of tannic acid in some leaves which were gathered at Boston, Mass. 



7. Coriaria myrtifolia, Linn., (Coriariae). These leaves are 

 used for tanning in the South of France, but their principal use 

 is in dyeing black. They form a very inferior Sumach. 



8. Cybistax antisyphilitica, Mart., (Bignoniacea?). (A plant 

 with many synonyms). Its leaves called " Caroba leaves," are used 

 in medicine. They contain -439 per cent, of tannic acid according 

 to Dr. Zaremba of Chicago. (Therap. Gazette, 1880, p. 34). 



9. Ephedra antisyphilitica, C. A. Mey, (Gnetacese). Dr. 

 McMurtrie found 119 per cent, of tannic acid in the leaves of this 

 plant, which is found in the table-lands of Arizona and Utah. 



10. Osyris compressa, DC, (Santalacese), 17 per cent, of tannin. 

 This species is from the Cape of Good Hope, and a North Indian 

 •species is used as a substitute for tea. Although Riddell states 

 that this plant came into use on account of the similarity in 

 appearance of its leaves to those of the tea-plant, its astringency 

 has doubtless confirmed its use. 



11. Polygonum amphibium, Linn., (Polygonacea?). The whole 

 plant, from Nebraska, 11-6 per cent, of tannic acid. (McMurtrie) 

 Dr. McMurtrie states — "The percentage of tannic acid found in 

 these leaves is very much below that found by Professor Samuel 

 Aughey of the University of Nebraska. The sample we examined 

 had been collected over a year, and was the best we could obtain." 

 This plant is common enough in Europe, and other species are 

 more or less astringent. 



12. Quercus sp. In 1768 Lavoisier used oak-leaves, but their 

 general employment was restricted by their strength for tanning 



