294 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
and somewhat pungent odour, in some respects resembling that of true matico; 
and an aromatic, somewhat spicy, pungent taste. 
More minutely examined, the leaves , (of which some may be found nearly 
entire), are then seen to be four, five, or more inches in length, and from one 
and a half to two and a half inches in breadth. They are oblong, oblong-lanceo¬ 
late, or oblong-ovate in form, entire at the margins, acuminate-pointed, and 
somewhat unequal, and more or less rounded at the base. They have short 
petioles, which are channelled above, rounded beneath, and enlarged at the 
base, or part by which they were originally attached to the stem, and are com¬ 
monly somewhat rough, or more or less hairy or pubescent. They have a 
somewhat membranous texture. Their upper surface is dark-green, opaque, and 
commonly more or less rough, although in some specimens they are nearly 
smooth; they are without hairs, and have from four to six somewhat sunken 
veins, arising alternately on each side of the midrib, and passing upwards 
parallel to, and approaching each other above, and ultimately terminating at 
the margins. Towards the base are several other smaller veins, which pass at once 
to the margins of the leaf. The under surface is pale-green, with prominent 
light-coloured veins, which in number and direction correspond to the veins 
above; these divide more or less, and give a corresponding, more or less reticu¬ 
lated character to the surface. There are commonly no hairs between the 
ramifications of the veins (although in some leaves these may be found); but the 
veins themselves are usually more or less pubescent, and in some cases very 
evidently so. 
The. stalks are striated, more or less compressed, somewhat rough from the 
presence of minute tuberosities on the surface, and are furnished at intervals 
with prominent nodes. 
The flower-spikes are slender, of a cylindrical shape, yellowish or brownish in 
colour, closely covered with minute flowers, more or less hooked, curved, or 
twisted, and three or more inches in length. 
It will be seen from the above characteristics that, the new kind of matico 
may be at once distinguished from the officinal and old kind of matico, by the 
leaves, etc., being in a less compressed state than in it; by their more fibrous 
nature, which makes them more difficult to reduce to powder ; by their upper 
surface not being so tessellated or rough; and generally, by the almost entire ab¬ 
sence on the under surface of pubescence, and in all cases, far less pubescent 
character. Hence the tessellated upper surface, and very pubescent character 
of the lower surface of the leaves constituting true matico are, at once sufficient 
to distinguish them from the leaves of the new kind of matico. 
Composition and Chemical Characteristics —The chemical composition 
and characteristics of officinal matico were investigated as far back as 1844, by 
Dr. John F. Hodges, and the results communicated to the Chemical Society.* He 
found the following substances in it: — an aromatic volatile oil , a bitter prin¬ 
ciple, which he termed maticine, a soft dark-green resin , chlorophyll, a brown 
colouring-matter, a yellow colouring-matter, gum, nitrate of potash, salts, and 
lignin. It was subsequently analysed by Mr. Wiegand, of Philadelphia, and ac¬ 
cording to him, the so-called maticine of Dr. Hodges is nothing more than a 
salt of potassa. Mr. Stell, in an inaugural essay presented to the Philadelphia 
College of Pharmacy, in March, 1858, confirms the conclusion of Mr. Wiegand, 
as to the non-existence of the maticine of Dr. Hodges; and he failed in obtaining 
any principle from matico, similar to piperine or cuhebine , and which from its 
being derived from a nearly allied plant it might have been supposed to contain.f 
Mr. Stell concluded from his experiments that the medicinal properties of ma- 
* Proceedings of the Chemical Society, vol. ii.p. 123, for 1844; and Pharm. Journ. vol. 
iv. 1844-45, p. 286. 
f ‘American Journal of Pharmacy,’ vol. vi. 185S, p. 392 ; and Proceedings Amer. Pharm. 
Assoc, for 1859, p. 49. 
