EXTRACTS EROM MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 
479 
entire satisfaction, that this article possesses most valuable diuretic powers, and there 
seemed to be no disagreeable symptoms following its use, excepting a slight degree ot 
flatulency and a looseness of the bowels produced, the latter of which is, not umre- 
quently, very desirable, particularly in dysuria, where there is irritation of the neck o 
the bladder and urethra, or. even in strangury, where there is absolute inflammation of 
the urinary passages. This, to me, is the more evident, from the enormous quantity ot 
urine secreted, and, consequently, any irritating quality that it might contain would be 
so diluted as to be rendered entirely mild and inoffensive to the delicate structure of the 
urinary passages. . . , , ., . 
“One advantage this article has over many others of its class is, that it is entirely 
palatable and inoffensive to the stomach, producing no irritation or nausea of the latter 
organ.”— Amer. Journ. Med. Science. 
NEW PAPER MATERIAL. 
M. Caminade has taken out a patent in France for manufacturing paper from the 
roots of the lucerne plant. When dried and beaten, these show thousands of very white 
fibres, which form an excellent pulp for paper-makers and may be substituted with re t 
advantage for rags. The three species of lucerne, Medicago media M falcata, and M, 
maculata produce equally good roots for paper-makers’use. M. Rabourdin an expe¬ 
rienced agriculturist^states that the month of December is the best ^e for taking rip 
the roots of the plant. The earth is then moist, and a great part of the loot can oe 
easily drawn. In the months of January or February following a harrow may be 
drawn over the land, and the remainder will then come to the surface. The roots are 
then to be well washed and delivered to the paper-makers. The pulp produced is said 
to be equal to that of ordinary rags. The roots are to be first pressed between two rollers 
to open them and when sufficiently crushed and dried, they are lext to soak m running 
wa?e P r ?or fifTeen days or three weeks. The pulp, besides the fibre for paper, produces 
salt of soda and a colouring matter, called by the inventor “ luzerme. It is c ^ 1 ^ ed 
that France produces annually seventy-five million kilogrammes of para, of which one- 
seventh is exported, leaving not more than two kilogrammes for each inhab ™^J 
consequently inferred that the production of paper would increase considerably, weieit 
Tint for the scarcity of the raw material. It requires one pound and a quarter 
of t r ao-s to make one pound of paper. Rags are eagerly sought for by every nation 
where paper is manufactured, hence this warm competition makes rags scarce and dear. 
M. Lafon, of Candaval, considers that the Arundo festucoides, whic ^ ^ows abun¬ 
dantly in vast tracts of land in Algeria, might be much more utilisedl than it is ffir 
paper material. At least twenty or thirty millions of hectares ar<3 covered wt 
nbnf While ran-s cost from 270 to 300 francs the ton, the pulp made with this wild plant 
£hi be sold witif advantage at one-third of this price. Dr. O'Korke after aUudingo 
the employment of this plant by the ancients, thinks that paper made with this p 1 
wouH wanVconsistence Jbut M. Lafon refutes this objection by furmshmg paper made 
of it, which is tough and offers great resistance.— Technologist. 
FYTR acts FROM MINUTES OF EVIDENCE GIVEN BEFORE THE 
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS BILL. 
(Continued from page 72.) 
Sir Fitzroy Kelly.-] 450. I must ask you, with regard to medical prescriptions aije 
they generally by medical men both in the metropolis and in the provinces, this 
C ° 457 yThen ^hen you say in English also, are you referring to anything ; are you 
auarLny^description of prescription is in use except the ordinary Larin prescrrptron 
