ORGANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 
485 
been alone officinal, but that of the latter has long been imported into this coun¬ 
try and elsewhere, and, so far as our experience goes, it is a superior oil. We 
are glad, therefore, to find it has been made officinal in the British Pharma¬ 
copoeia. The characters of the two oils we find to vary, especially as regards 
their point of congelation, the latter remaining solid at a much higher tempe¬ 
rature than the former ; hence the characters given in the British Pharmacopoeia 
will not apply indifferently to the two oils, as we should be there led to expect. 
Oleum Coriander —This, as we have already noticed in our first lecture,* 
is an entirely new substance in a Pharmacopoeia published in the British Islands. 
It is directed to be used in the preparation of Syrupus Sennas. 
Oleum Crotonis. —Two kinds of Croton Oil have been known in this 
country, namely, that which was imported from India, and hence called East 
Indian Croton Oil, and that which was expressed in this country from the seeds 
imported from India, and known as English Croton Oil. The latter is now 
alone officinal, and the following is given as the test:— u Agitated with its own 
volume of alcohol, and gently heated, it forms a clear solution, from which about 
three-fourths of the oil separate on cooling.” This is a mistake, the framers of 
the Pharmacopoeia having given the test for East Indian Croton Oil instead of 
that for the English Oil; hence the test is true as regards the former, but is 
not correct as regards the latter, or officinal oil, which is wholly and readily 
soluble in alcohol, and the solution thus formed is permanent at ordinary tempe¬ 
ratures. 
Oleum Cubeile.—Oleum Myristkle. —Both these volatile oils are new 
as compared with the last London Pharmacopoeia, but not as regards the Edin¬ 
burgh and Dublin Pharmacopoeias. Both oils are ordered to be distilled in 
England. 
Opium. —We have only one remark to make regarding this very important 
article of the Materia Medica, and that refers to the characters given of it in 
the British Pharmacopoeia. Thus, among other characters, opium is said to be 
“ enveloped in a poppy leaf, and generally covered with rumex seeds.” It 
should be, usually enveloped in poppy leaves, and generally more or less covered 
by rumex fruits , with, rarely, a few rumex seeds intermixed ; for some specimens 
of the kind of opium ordered in the Pharmacopoeia are not enveloped in a poppy 
leaf, and there can be no question here, as in some other cases, whether the parts 
of the llumex mentioned are fruits or seeds. Indeed, the few seeds that are 
found simply arise from accident, for they only occur in those specimens which 
have been much handled or subjected to friction, in which case the coverings of 
the capsules become rubbed off and the contained seeds alone left. 
Piper. —Black Pepper is stated to be derived “chiefly from the West Indies.” 
This is an error, for no commercial Black Pepper comes from the West Indies ; 
but “ chiefly from the East Indies.” This is tbe only kind of pepper which is 
now officinal; long pepper of the old London and Edinburgh Pharmacopoeias 
being no longer retained. 
Podophyllum.—Podophylli Resina. —These are both new additions to 
a Pharmacopoeia published in the United Kingdom, but they have been intro¬ 
duced into the United States Pharmacopoeia ever since the year 1820, at which 
period the first Pharmacopoeia of that country was issued. The officinal part 
in the British Pharmacopoeia is called the root, although, in reality, it is the 
rhizome and rootlets. It is imported from North America.f 
Podophyllum peltatum belongs to the Natural Order Ranunculacese. It is only 
found in a wild state, in the States of North America, where it is widely spread, 
* Pharm. Journ. vol. v. 2nd ser. p. 419. 
f Fora full account of Podophyllum peltatum see an article by Prof. Bentley, “On New 
American Kennedies,” Phann. Journ. vol. iii. 2nd ser. p. 457. 
