523 
EDINBURGH MEETING. 
Coral, that is the red coral (Gorallium rubrum), has only lately disappeared from the 
shelves of British pharmaceutists, and is not altogether discarded from those of France 
and some other countries, where, under the mistaken supposition that the colouring 
matter is due to the presence of iron, it is regarded by a few as a useful tonic and 
astringent. In Britain, the latter quality was the only one imputed to it during its last 
davs; but as that was seen to be due onlv to the carbonate of lime contained in it, 
chalk-coloured pink was first substituted for it, and finally prepared chalk without the 
colour and name has superseded it entirely. 
The order of insects still holds an important position in the Materia Medica, and in 
describing some of its principal products, I shall purposely omit those of the bee and 
the gall-producing cynips, as also, when speaking of the order of fishes, I shall leave 
out isinglass ; because these three subjects are of too much importance to be treated so 
shortly, and will each furnish me with material for a future paper. 
First in therapeutic value are the various blistering insects, and chief amongst these 
the Spanish-fly (Cantharis vesicatorio ), which has long been justly regarded as the best 
and safest of all counter-irritants, besides having well-recognized value in some cases as an 
internal remedy. They are called Spanish-flies because Spain furnishes an abundance 
of them, but they are found also in many parts of Europe, and even occasionally in the 
south of England. The specimen I show you is from Hungary, and is of very fine qua¬ 
lity. Of late years two species of Mylabris — M. pustulata from China, and M. indica 
from the East Indies, have found their way into European pharmacy. The discovery 
by Roubiquet of the active vesicating principle cantharidin, in the true cantharides, 
may probably lead to the very extensive use of these and allied species for the produc¬ 
tion of this valuable and more convenient vesicant. Many other vesicating insects are 
known, as— 
Cantharis cinerea. 
C. atrata. 
C. vittata. 
C. marginata, American. 
C. ruficeps, Sumatra and Java. 
C. gigas, India. 
C. violacea, India. 
C. Syriaca, Arabia. 
C. atomaria, Brazil. 
Cetonia aurata, Europe. 
Mylabris cichorei, Fabricius. 
M. variabilis, Pallas. 
M. olese, Chevrol, of the olive. 
M. cygnescens, Illiger. 
Meloe proscarabaeus, Linn., common over . 
a great portion of England. 
M. rugosus, Marsh. 
M. maialis, Linn. 
M. autumnalis, Oliv. 
M. variegatus, Donav. 
M. Algeria, Linn. 
M. Tuccius, Hoffm. 
M. coccarius, Hoffm. 
M. punctatus, Oliv. 
Cerocoma Schsefferi, Fabricius, and other 
species. 
Doubtless many others may be added to these, especially of the genus Mylabris, and 
will some day or other be found valuable sources for cantharidin. 
Amongst the Chinese there is in use a curious drug, consisting of the dried skins of 
an insect, apparently a hemipterous one, or if not, a very thin-skinned coleopteron. 
The cochineal insect, Coccus cacti, formerly had great repute as a remedy for hooping- 
cough, and still has its votaries amongst the ill-informed. It is to the man of science 
far more interesting as a source of one of our most beautiful dyes, and a favourite 
colouring-matter in pharmacy ; so that, although its therapeutic value is gone, it still 
holds its own in our pharmaceutical preparations. The insect is originally a native of 
Mexico, but owing to a number of interesting circumstances it has found its way to 
other parts of the world, amongst which are conspicuous Madeira and Spain, in both of 
which countries it is cultivated, in the former very successfully; in the latter also there 
is reason for belief that it will, in more settled times, become a valuable industry, as 
the cactus thrives luxuriantly in all the southern provinces, where it and one or two allied 
species are used commonly to form hedges, and their fruits are found in the markets in 
extraordinary abundance. There are two commercial varieties of cochineal, but they 
are one and the same species, differing only in the mode of preparation for the market. 
Leeches can hardly be regarded as animal substances; nevertheless they merit men¬ 
tion in connection with the other zoological features of the Materia Medica. The con¬ 
sumption of the animal is something enormous, and although in former times it was 
