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EAPJ], H, A., CASPAEI, C. , ajid RUSBY, H. K. (58) 
'THE HAIIONAL STAtlDAP-D DISPMSATOET, Ed. 3, 2,081 pp. 
Philadelphia and ITew York. 1916, 
Q,uassia consists of the vrood of Picrasma excelsa 
(&7Z,) Planch. ( QMassia e. Sws. ; Q. polygama Lindsay; 
Picraena e, Lindl. ; S i maruta e, IX). ) , Jamaica quassia, 
or Q;aassia a^nara L. , and Surinam quassia. "Quassia is 
official in allj:)harmacopoeias, tho\i^h most of them do 
not specify the first-named vnjriety. Those which do, for 
the most part, employ the synonym 'Picraena.' Hcjiy specify 
instead the second-named, or Surinam variety. The 
Portuguese permit the use of "both, while others expressly 
forbid the use of the Jnirai ca variety." 
Quassia is a hitter tonic, employed in the treatment of 
dyspepsia <?jrid anorosia following acute fevern. An infusion 
of quassia is used as an cnoinci. for the removal of thread 
v7Grns or seat-worms ( Ox;s/''uri s vermicularls ). 
Under "Allied Drugs" it is stated thrt the harks of 
the two quassias rJre used separately. The wood of P. 
quassioides (Buch.-Hrm.) Bena. ( Fima q, Buch.-Hojn.T is 
used in an exactly similar wry in India. P. ailnjitoides 
(Bunge) Planch. , a Japanese species there known as nigcoici 
(hitter-wood), was found to contain in the hark a principle 
very similar to quassin. The liP.xrk of P. javanica , a large 
tree, is used in Borneo as a hitter tonic and febrifuge, 
under the name K"apa wsaw. An African quassia which can he 
scarcely distinguished from Surinam quassia and contains 
a principle apparently identical with quassin has been 
reported from the Congo region. Under the name ironwood 
or Ostrya (also leverwood and hoj) hornbeam), the heartwood 
and bark of stray a vi rgi ni ana (Mill.) W. ( Carpi nu_s v. 
I.Iill,; 0. virginica W. ) are used as quassia substitutes. 
In the Philippines a)-id the East Indies the wood of 
samader a indica Gaertn, (called Ivl anungal in the Tagala 
diaJ-ectT is used as a qua,ssia substitxite. The important 
bitter principle of Jamaica qur?.ssia is a. neutral, crystalline 
substance, commonly known as quassin, but determined by 
Ilassute, to be a mixture of two crystalline bodies, which 
he denominated^^ - andf^- picrasmin. Q?j.assin is extracted by 
neutralizing the a.queous infusion with soda, precipitating 
with tannin, and decomposing the precipitate with lead oxide 
or lime. It crystallizes in needles or prisms and is soluble 
in alcohol and chloroform aJid in 1200 parts of cold water. 
It is very bitter. The ^-picrasmin (C^^H ) molts at 204° 
C. ajad the. P -picrasmin (C56H48O10) ^* ^09-212o C. The bitter 
principle of Surinajn quassia is closely related but not 
identical. To it the najnc quassin is commonly a-pplied 
(pp. 1353-1354). 
