ORGANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 
489 
two importers. This irregularity in the supply will however, we trust, be but tem¬ 
porary, although we anticipate that there will be, for some time at least, a difficulty 
in obtaining a regular supply of roots. The roots will also be found to vary much 
in the amount of resin they yield according to their period of collection. This 
fact, combined with the probable difficulty of obtaining regular supplies, are to 
some extent drawbacks to the introduction of Scammony root into the Phar¬ 
macopoeia, although, on the whole, we regard its admission as a useful one. 
Sc ammonite Resina.— This is an entirely new article, so far as its prepara¬ 
tion from Scammony root is concerned, in a British Pharmacopoeia ; but the 
resin obtained from ordinary Scammony of commerce was officinal in the last 
Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia. In the present British Pharmacopoeia it is stated 
to be “ a resin, obtained by means of rectified spirit from Scammony root or 
Scammony.” Hence this direction would leave it optional with those who pre¬ 
pare the resin to use the root or ordinary Scammony of commerce. Among the 
characters given of the resin, it is also stated to be of a sweet fragrant odour 
if prepared from the root; and moreover, under the head of Scammony in the 
Materia Medica, one of the preparations mentioned is the llesina. We should 
naturally conclude, therefore, that either substance might be indifferently used 
for the purpose; but upon turning to Scammonise Besina in the Preparations 
and Compounds, (which by some mistake is translated Resin of Jalap,) we find 
a formula for its preparation, in which no notice is taken of commercial Scam¬ 
mony, but Scammony root is alone ordered to be employed. With such conflict¬ 
ing directions, we are necessarily unable to say whether Scammony root, or com¬ 
mercial Scammony, or both are intended to be used indiscriminately. It is quite 
clear, however, from the introduction of Scammony root into the Pharmacopoeia, 
solely for the purpose of preparing the resin, that the authors of that work evi¬ 
dently intended it to be one of the articles employed. It would have been per¬ 
haps better to have directed the root only to be used, as the characters of the resin 
obtained indifferently from it and commercial Scammony will vary much in 
their characters. There is one advantage, however, of retaining commercial 
Scammony as one of the sources of the resin, for now, in case of a deficiency of 
the root, we can fall back upon it. 
Scammony resin prepared directly from the root was introduced to the notice 
of the medical profession, about five years since, in consequence of the great and 
systematic adulteration to which commercial Scammony was subjected,* and 
the matter was brought before this Society by Dr. Garr@d. From the experi¬ 
ments of Drs. Garrod, Frederick J. Farre, George Johnson, and others, it ap¬ 
pears that this resin is quite equal as a remedy to the best virgin Scammony of 
commerce, and that it possesses the most important advantages of u being perfectly 
uniform in its physical characters, composition, and therapeutic action.” We 
are informed also, on the best authority, that Scammony resin prepared from 
the root, may be sold at three-fourths the price of the best virgin Scammony. 
With such testimony, however much we might be inclined otherwise to doubt 
the equal efficiency of a direct exudation derived by incision from a living root 
and a product obtained in the laboratory, we cannot but regard it as a useful 
introduction to the British Pharmacopoeia. 
Sc ammonium. —This, the old Scammony of our Pharmacopoeias, is stated to 
be “ a gum-resin, obtained by incision from the living root in Syria.” This is not 
altogether correct, for but very little Scammony comes to us by way of, or is ob¬ 
tained in, Syria; and even the little which we do thus obtain is of very inferior 
quality. All our best Scammony is obtained in Asia Minor, and principally in the 
northern and north-western parts, and hence in those most remote from Syria. 
Among the preparations of Scammony, and Resin of Scammony, under these 
respective heads in the Materia Medica, we find that either substance may be 
* Pliarm. Jornn. vol. xviii. pp. 446 and 546. 
