443 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
lie understood, had been brought to this country from Jamaica, by Dr. Bower- 
bank, who thought very highly of its medicinal properties and mode of action ; 
but as Dr. Tilbury Fox was present that evening, and had himself made experi¬ 
ments with it in this country, perhaps he would kindly narrate to the meeting 
the results he had obtained. 
Dr. Tilbury Fox stated that he was glad to respond to the desire of the 
President, although his experience of the action and properties of this kind of 
senna was at present but on a very limited scale. His attention had been called 
to it, and Dr. Bowerbank had informed him that he had employed it extensively 
in Jamaica for nearly thirty years, and found it to be an efficient purgative, 
and one which was especially to be recommended over ordinary senna, from its 
more agreeable taste, and from its not producing griping. Dr. Fox said that 
he had himself prescribed it, and his experience of its action, etc., so far agreed 
with that of Dr. Bowerbank. 
Professor Bentley^ said that he had obtained a very good specimen of Port- 
Royal senna some weeks since through a friend, who had received it from Dr. 
Bowerbank, who had, he understood, brought over a large supply with him from 
Jamaica, with the object of having it fully tried in this country. Upon a super¬ 
ficial examination, he (Professor Bentley) thought that it had been derived from 
Cassia obovata , Coll., from its marked resemblance to Italian senna, which 
was a cultivated variety derived from that plant; his time being then devoted 
to other matters of more pressing importance, he had put the senna on one 
side for further investigation, with a view, if he found it then of sufficient 
importance, to introduce the subject at one of the Evening Meetings of the 
Pharmaceutical Society. Upon the President informing him that morning of 
his intention to introduce the matter that evening to the meeting, he 
examined the specimen again in a more careful manner, and was then clearly 
convinced from the shape, etc., of the leaves and fruit, that this senna, which 
was labelled Port-Royal senna, and said to be derived from Cassia Porturegalis 
of Bancroft, was in reality obtained from Cassia obovata of Colladon, and that 
this plant must have been introduced into Jamaica from tropical Africa, and be¬ 
come naturalized. In order, however, to be quite convinced, he referred to various 
authorities, and found as he had expected, that he was correct in referring the 
botanical source of Port-Royal senna to the Cassia obovata of Colladon ; the 
so-called Cassia Porturegalis of Bancroft being in reality nothing more than 
that species. The present senna therefore was derived from one of the species 
from which our officinal Alexandrian senna was obtained, as stated in the 
British Pharmacopoeia. It had been probably introduced into Jamaica at an 
early date, as it was now found growing apparently wild, very freely, at Port- 
Royal, and medical writers on Jamaica for very many years past had spoken of 
its purgative properties, etc. There could be no doubt therefore of its being 
an efficient purgative, but further trials were necessary in this country before 
we could come to any positive conclusions as to its comparative value over the 
other kinds of senna now in use. From his own limited observations, and from 
what he had heard, he believed that Port-Royal senna would be found some¬ 
what less active then either the Alexandrian or East Indian kinds. Under any 
circumstances, however, we were indebted to Dr. Bowerbank for bringing this 
senna prominently into notice in this country. 
The following papers were then read :— 
THE EMPLOYMENT OF GELATINE IN PLACE OF METAL 
FOR BOTTLE CAPSULES. 
BY A. F. HASELDEN. 
The readers of ‘Temple Bar’ will probably remember, in the December 
