82 



JVote, 



is, that tlie juice still retains so much of its acrid properties, 

 that about aii ounce of it, proves adrastic cathartic for a strong 

 man, and mixed with a few grains of black pepper, one often 

 used. The juice procured is slightly mucilagenous, of a green- 

 ish colour, and perfectly transparent. To the taste it is first 

 insipid and then saline and acidulous. It eiFervesces with 

 alcalies, and on being treated with a solution of nitrate of 

 silver throws down a very copious white precipitate which 

 soon turns black on exposure to the light ; muriate of copper 

 immediately changes it to green. The acid is therefore 

 muriatic. The salt v/hich imparts the taste, I have not yet 

 ascertained, but from some rude chemical experiments 

 which I m.ade on the juice, I believe the subject well worthy 

 the attention of your chemical readers : and think some 

 interesting additions to our knowledge of vegetable chemis- 

 try, might be obtained from a careful analysis of the juices 

 of the milky plants which abound in this country. Under 

 this conviction I would strongly recommend those w^ho have 

 made chemistry their study, to devote some portion of their 

 leisure to this investigation, as important medical as well 

 as otherwise useful discoveries may result from the enquiry. 



W. R. 



NOTE. 



Mr. Robinson's paper above referred to, is to be found in the Medico 

 CbirurgicalTransactions of London vol. X. page 27. Mr. Robinson^ 

 considers " the world at large deeply indeblei to Mr. Playfair for 

 the discovery of the most valuable medicine hitherto derived from 

 the vegetable kingdom," although he does concur with him, in as- 

 cribing to it ail the virtues that gentleman supposed it to possess. 



There is a very elaborate paper on the virtues of Mudar by Mr. 

 Playfair, in the Ist volume of the Tranactions of the Medical and 

 I'hysical Society of Calcutta, detailing a variety of cases treated 

 with it by himself and other practitioners during a long series of years. 

 It is remarkable that in the botanical description in that paper, fur- 

 nished by Dr. Buchanan Hamilton, the Asclepias ;;ro<-era and Asclepias 

 gigmitea occur as synonyms, but with the mark ? after each. 



i3r. Cumin in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal for 

 October 1827, in detailing five cases which were treated with Mudar 

 in the Lock Hospital, Glasgow, says "In two it produced no benefit, 

 in two it seemed lo contribute to a successful result, and in one I am 

 inclined to ascribe to it tlie completion of the cure. Being in its 

 nature an alterative, though one of a highly concentrated character, 

 many trials must be made, anda/ow./^- period must €lcq)>-:e before its 

 virtues- can be ^atiyfactorib/ aHcertoinedr He continues, ''Let us 

 therefore not tlirow ;i>ide the Mudar with n(?glecr, but be encouraged 

 to make trial of iliis drug, which is productive of no dcleteriouts el- 



