November 16, 1372,] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
383 
contiguous wedges frequently unite at the base, and 
form a “ loop ” of vessels. These characters vary 
in different samples of Honduras—very probably 
diverse species are imported under this name—in 
none of them, however, are the vessels so distinctly 
“ radiate,” or the “ double wedge ” arrangement so 
well seen. 
Mexican Sarsaparilla .—The cortical substance 
does not contain so much starch as either of the fore¬ 
going ; its cells are not so large, it is more spongy, and 
not so regular in size. The vessels of the vascular sys¬ 
tem are much smaller, are arranged in series of two 
to six, and are not in wedges, or rarely so, and very 
frequently the central portion is nearly completely 
occupied by separate cylindrical vessels. The ves¬ 
sels are smaller, not so broadly pitted, and the cells 
generally are less porous. 
Guatemala Sarsaparilla (doubtfully S. papyracea) 
The rind of this sarsaparilla consists of four to six 
layers of ligneous cells, of which the outer contains a 
great quantity of colouring matter, more distinctly 
red than in other sarsaparilla. These cells are much 
thickened. The cortical substance is well developed 
and very full of starch. Its cells are large and regular 
as in the officinal root. The vascular system some¬ 
what resembles that of Honduras sarsaparilla, the 
vessels are large, and in series of two to four. Separate 
vessels are found near the “ wedges ” here more like 
notes of admiration (!), but are not generally found 
in the central portion. 
Caraccas .—Chiefly characteristic by the concentric 
arrangement of the vessels, which are here less 
separated by liber tissue than in other varieties, and 
are so close together as to form almost a circle, as 
in some exogens. Separate vessels in the central 
portion. 
Want of space prevents reference to certain other 
roots, most of which, however, are to be referred to 
one or other of those already described. The points 
to be specially noted are the size and shape of the 
cells of the rind, and the number of layers. This is 
not a constant by any means, but is of value in con¬ 
nection with the others following. The size and texture 
of the cortical substance, and the proportion of starch 
it contains are of importance, and with the size, form, 
and general character of the wedges, or rays, of the 
vascular system, are the principal features to be con¬ 
sidered. But it must be confessed that, as regards 
sarsaparilla, the microscope is only an adjunct to 
the ordinary naked-eye method of distinguishing the 
officinal root, equally valuable, but equally dependent 
upon an educated and practised eye. 
The only other root of the Pharmacopoeia which 
remains is that of Sumbul, which I am obliged to 
reserve for the present from want of opportunity to 
examine a sufficient number of specimens. In my 
next article I shall begin the barks and pass on to 
the woods. 
ODOURS .* 
BY M. FERNAND PAPILLON. 
(Concluded from p. 346.) 
Each of the three kingdoms of nature contains odorous 
substances. Amongst minerals are found a few solids 
and several liquids and gases which are endowed with 
more or less strong, generally rather disagreeable, but 
* Abstracted from a memoir, entitled c Les Odeurs d’apr^s 
les Decouvertes Rocentes de la Chitnie et de la Physiologie ’ 
(Moniteur Scientifique-Quesneville, xiv. 296 et seq.). 
characteristic odours. These are elementary bodies, 
such as chlorine, bromine, iodine, etc.; acids, such as 
hydrochloric acid and hydrocyanic acid; carbides of 
hydrogen, such as petroleum ; and alkaline substances, as 
ammonia, etc. The odours that are manifest in animals 
may nearly all be attributed either to gaseous compounds 
of hydrogen and carbon, or hydrogen and sulphur, to 
various solid and liquid acids arising from the decomposi¬ 
tion of fats, or to special principles secreted by the glands, 
such as musk, ambergris, civet, etc. Plants present a 
great variety of odours ; absolutely inodorous plants are 
very rare, and many that when fresh appear to be so, 
manifest when dried a perceptible perfume. 
The odours of plants are due to principles very un¬ 
equally distributed in the various organs ; some are solid, 
as balsams and resins; others are liquid, and are called 
essences or essential oils. In the majority of cases the 
essence concentres in the flower, as is seen in the rose 
and violet; in other plants, such as the vetiver ( Ana - 
therum muricatum) and orris (Iris Florentine), the root 
alone is perfumed. In the cedar and santal it is the 
wood, in mint and patchouli it is the leaf, in the Tonquin 
bean it is the seed, and in canella it is the bark wMch 
are the seats of the odorous principles. In the orange 
the leaves yield the essence known under the name 
of “petit-grain,” the flowers furnish the “ neroli,” 
and from the rind of the fruit is obtained the “ essence 
de Portugal.” A great number of vegetable odours are 
obtained from tropical plants, but the European flora 
furnishes a large proportion, and nearly all the essences 
employed in perfumery are of European origin. In 
England are cultivated lavender and peppermint; at 
Nismes the cultivators pay particular attention to rose¬ 
mary, thyme and lavender; Nice has the specialty of 
the violet; Cannes extracts the essences of rose, tube¬ 
rose, cassia (Acacia Farnesiana), jasmin and neroli;* Sicily 
gives the citron and orange; Italy the iris and bergamot. 
Modern chemistry has allotted nearly all vegetable 
odours to three categories, namely, hydrocarbons, alde¬ 
hydes, and ethers. Apart from a small number among 
them which contain sulphur,—as the essences of the 
family Crucifer®,—they all present the same qualitative 
composition, carbon and hydrogen, with or without 
oxygen. The proportions of these three constituents 
change, but always in regular gradations, as hydrocar- 
bidcs, aldehydes and ethers. Here, as in all organic 
chemistry, everything depends upon the proportions of 
the constituent principles; the qualitative constitution 
imports so little, that a variation in. the proportional 
weights of these constituents gives rise to an infinite 
variety of distinct compounds which have not the 
slightest resemblance to one another. 
But the wonderful properties of the elements, and the 
mysterious energies with which matter is endowed, are ap¬ 
parent in the still more remarkable phenomenon, known 
under the name of isomerism. Two bodies, completely 
dissimilar in their properties, may present absolutely 
the same)'ultimate composition, both qualitatively and 
quantitatively. But, it may be asked, in what do they 
differ ? They differ in the arrangement of their mole¬ 
cules. Charcoal and the diamond are identical as to 
their matter; ordinary phosphorus and amorphous 
phosphorus are one and the same substance. Inow, 
the odoriferous principles of plants supply some ex¬ 
tremely curious examples of isomerism. Thus,, the es¬ 
sences of turpentine, citron, bergamot, neroli, juniper, 
savin, lavender, cubebs, peppermint and cloves are 
isomeric bodies; that is to say, all have the same che¬ 
mical composition. Submitted to analysis, all these 
* Grasse and Cannes, which are the principal centres for the 
manufacture of essences in France, produce 150,000 kilograms 
of perfumed pomades and oils per annum, and. nearly 7000 
kilograms of pure essence of neroli, petit-grain, lavender, 
rosemary and thyme, a quantity that represents a prodigous 
number of flowers. The orange-flower water is reckomedby 
millions of litres. 
