BRUCEA SUMATRANA. 



This drug seems well to maintain its reputation, although it has 

 not received everywhere the attention it deserves. MonGEOT and 

 MATHIEU in Nouveaux Remedes 1906. 22, 386 say, " Kosam seeds 

 or an aqueous alcoholic extract thereof have been employed in the 

 French Colonies with marked success in the treatment of dysentery. 

 The dose is the kernel of one seed or a compressed tablet or dragee 

 of the alcoholic aqueous extract equivalent thereto, four of which are 

 given the first day, eight the second, twelve the third, eight the fourth 

 and one the fifth. Ninety-six per cent of cases treated are stated 

 to have been completely cured." {Pharm. Journ. February 2, 1907. 

 p. 104) a good deal has been written in the Bulletin about this drug, 

 the seed of Brucea Sumatrana, which has been so well spoken ot 

 that one wonders that it has not as yet come into general use for 

 so terrible and common a disease. 



H. N. R. 



RUBBER FROM A TUBER AT LAST. 



A Plant found in Portuguese West Africa, and not hitherto known 

 to science as a source of Jibber, is the subject of a recent report by 

 Professor Carlos EuGENIO DE MeLLO GERALDES, of the agronomi 

 cal institute at Lisbon. The plant is referred to^as nounshmg^ 

 the sandy, treeless plate; 

 the 



;andy, treeless plateaus around Bailu»«w 

 J \ v . ... t --_j„j.,k.Hvppn theK« 



World, May is 



" root rubber, " which ' grade 'has been exported extensively 

 Benguela, though the plSnt now described has no relation toW 

 producing the class of rubber here referred to. It is asc . 

 Pro essor J Henriques, of Coimbra, to the natural or 

 Ascleptadaceae, while the Landolphia Thollonn and ot ^ r 

 rubber » species belong to the A pocynaceae. The new pljnt, Kn „ 

 by the natives in different localities as » Ekanda and ^J^. 

 is a stemless biennial plant with a fleshy yellow tubers root, ^ 

 times turnip shaped, but most frequently in form resem e.^ 

 flattened sphere, the entire substance of which is i*™ e *^ ate d 

 latiferous ducts. The plant ends at the top in a simple or Di 

 prolongation or pseudo stem, 2 to 4 in ches m len S th> J the earth; 

 are dark green, in two to five pairs forming a rosette near the 

 they are simple, oval shaped, with a small point, and shgnuy 

 The featherlike veins are liaht green in the young leaf, but ^ 

 violet-red shortly before blossoming. The bloss oms are a ^ 

 olet-red, and" mostly sterile. In form they sugg esl The fruit 

 inches. 



