288 
THE SPURIOUS OR EAST INDIAN ANGUSTURA BARK. 
^lat ibf active agent is eitlier Strj clinineor Brucine; 
and 3(lly, they led to the inference, that the Bath 
from vvliich both ciystals and extiactweie piepar- 
td was that of the Vomica or Poison nut of Bential, 
'I he Botanical and Chemical links of the invt s- 
ligalion were quickly supplied. I staled that 1 sent 
Dr. Wallich a poitionofihe Baik received by Mr. 
Hurry fiom Mr. Piddimjton. I subjoin Dr. Wal- 
lich’s teply to my communication ; — 
Botanical Garden, M October. 
My Dbab O’Sh AUG hn essy,— There isnotthe 
sligiitesi doubt in my mind, that the specimen of 
Bark you sent me is of Strychnos Nux Vomica. I 
send you samples of the fresh Bark which will at 
once convince you of my asseitioti. But laste the 
baik and you will perceive in it the same stiong 
bilteiness joined to a most disagreeable sort of 
pungency as there is in your own specimen, which 
1 retain having taken the liberty to keep a small 
bit of it. 
Your’s, &c. 
N. WALLICH. 
On comparing the physical and chemical pioper* 
lies of the three barks; No. 1, given liy Mr. Pid- 
dington to Mr. Hurry ; No. 2, from wliicli the ex- 
tract used in the above expeiimenls was made; 
and No. 3, that sent by Dr. Wallich in reoly to my 
note, nottbe slightest doubt a.s to their peifeci iden- 
tity can, tor cue momeiii, lie entertained. 
Lastly, as to tlie chemical nature of lire ciystals 
termed “ Sulphate oi Kohunna’' by Mr. Fiddingion 
and the writers in the “ India Journal of Medi- 
cal Science f the substance proves to be a mixtuie 
of Brucine^ Strychine, and adhering coloring 
matter, with faini tiaci s of the sulphni ic acid em- 
ployed in the prepaiation. F(»r the saiisfaciion of 
gentlemen who uudeistand these maiieis piac- 
tically, i may slate, that the crystals become 
blood red when touched with iiiiric acid, 
that piotochloride of lin changes this red gia- 
dually and slowly to a beautiful violet (This ex- 
periment was witnessed liy Dr. Bianiley and Mr. 
Hate, and proves the presence of that 
liydro-sulphaie of ainnumia added cautiously and 
in minute quaiiliiies to tlie leddeiied crystals clian- 
ges them to a violet blue, indicaiing 
■file extract above alluded to on analyses afford- 
ed both the bases in question. Ilie three haiks 
lastly agiee in all their chemical chaiacteis and 
afford unequivocal pioof of the pieseiice of Stiych- 
niiie and iisassociaie the igasuiic acid. 
it is a curious fact that ihe balk which Mr. Pid- 
dingtoit supposed lobe ilial of the Swieieuia (Irom 
which nevertheless it is totally diffeieiii in color, 
taste, consistence, and chemical pi opei ties) is now 
proved to be the same, which, under the name of 
false Aiiguslura was iiitioduced into liurope many 
yeais since, and caused so many calamitous acci- 
dents, that the Austrian Government and several 
other powers ^eized and destioyed all that could be 
found in their tei riloiies. 
As it is my iiiiention to publish minute details of 
this remaikable occurrence in a professional peiio- 
dical; there remains liule more of iliis disagieeable 
task to peiform, ttian lo give a sufficient desciip- 
tion of the cliaiacteis of the tine Itoiiim and ofiis 
fearful sutistiiuie, as will enable the putilic lo 
guaid against Hie fatal accidents which must ine- 
vitably follow the incautious use of the latter. 
True Rohun. 
Externally giay,suh 
stance red, consistence 
loose, texture flexible, 
taste slightly bitter and 
austere. Powder coarse 
and red, solution in 
in water color of baik, 
not affected by nitric 
acid. 
Nux Vomica Bark. 
Externally gray , inter- 
nally deep brown or 
black, sometimes cover- 
ed with rust colored 
luiigi, consistence lirit- 
ile, taste insuppoi tably 
biiter, powder giey, so- 
lution in water yellow- 
ish, bark stained blood 
red when touched with 
nitric acid. 
Specimens may be seen at tiie Medical College 
daily from II a, M.to 4 p. m. 
I here dismiss the sulijecl for the present with- 
out comment or animadveision : ii is painful to me 
to bring it forward at all ; but it would be criminal 
to slirink from tbe pei foimaiice of such an urgenr 
dll ty. 
B, O'SHAUGHNESSY, M, D. 
Professor of Chemistry, Medical College. 
bth October, 1836. 
P. S. — I annex a copy of a report from Mr. Foy 
on experiments on two dogs made this morning at 
the Geiieial Hospital by dii eclioii of the medical 
utiiceisof that establishment. 
To Duncan 8tewart, Esq. MD. 
Sir.— T lie dog to which was administered one 
diachin of the extract was fiist convulsed one hour 
and twelve minutes after, and after a lew rapid and 
strong fits of convulsion died in one hour and 
thii ty.one miiiiiies, 
'I'he dog wliich got half a drachm of the extract 
became convulsed SOminiites alter, and, after several 
fits of tetanic Convulsions, died one hour and two 
min utes after. 
William Vo'i , Apothecary . 
1 have only to observe on this e.\periment Hint 
the extract was given lo those animals in ihe solid 
form. 
bth October, 1836, W. B. O’S. 
With the view of making ourselves fully- 
acquainted with the foregoing important 
subject, we attended at the College, and Dr. 
O’Shaughnessy, in our presence, again per- 
formed the experiments to which he has 
alluded. We are satisfied in our own mind 
that this bark is the same as that examined 
by Planche, who named it angustura ferrugi- 
nea, which, he said, contained brucine. It is 
also alluded to by Orfila among the class of 
substances which excite violent paroxysms 
of convulsions and tetanus. Dr. Rambach 
of Hamburgh first distinguished two kinds 
of angustura bark ; one of which he called 
poisonous. That which was genuine was called 
West Indian ; but the poisonous one he called 
East Indian angustura. This statement was 
adopted by Pfaff and other German authors 
on Materia Medica. Both kinds are often in 
commerce mixedtogether;and,in consequence 
of the fatal effects, from the use of spurious 
angustura in Hungary and Bern, proof of 
which was obtained from its poisonous effects 
on animals (Trait4 des Poisons, Paris, 1817), 
the Austrian Government ordered all angustu- 
ra bark in the empire, genuine and spurious, 
to be burnt, and interdicted its future im- 
portation. Its sale was also prohibited in 
Denmark, in Russia, andinWirtemberg. Al- 
though it be acknowledged that the results 
alluded to proved the poisonous effects of 
