February 1, 1873.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
of sufficient length so that any further details that 
might be given of the different varieties of Jadvar 
or Nirbisi must be reserved for another occasion. 
In China the prepared roots of Aconitum variega- 
tum would appear to be employed in a similar 
manner, and for a like purpose to the At is in India, 
under the names of Fu-tsze and Heh-fu-tsze. Dr. 
Porter Smith writes of this species of Aconite as 
cultivated on a large scale at Cliang-ming-hien, etc. 
The roots are prepared by steeping in vinegar and 
salting them. The Tien-hiung is considered by the 
same authority to be a variety of the same species 
of Aconitum which is cultivated in Sechuen, etc. 
The prepared tubers are top shaped, ovoid, measur¬ 
ing one inch and three-quarters long by one inch 
and a half in breadth, of a black colour externally, 
and often encrusted with a saline efflorescence. 
Several tubercles emboss the outer surface, more 
especially at the upper part. The interior is of a 
a blackish-brown colour, moist and greasy. The 
Fu-pien is said to be merely the tubers of the same 
species, stripped of the cuticle after soaking in 
vinegar, dried thoroughly, and cut into thin slices, 
which are brittle, curled, translucent, white, and 
exhibit the concentric arrangement of the vascular 
bundles which traverse the root lengthwise. It is 
but very slightly acrid. 
Tseh-tsze is another drug supposed to be derived 
from the small side tubers of the same Aconitum 
variegatum. All these forms are more or less em¬ 
ployed in fevers, ague, apoplexy, rheumatism, leprosy, 
neuralgia, headache, dysuria, dropsy, cholera, and 
dysmenorrlicea. The preparation by salt and vinegar 
in order to correct the natural acrid properties of the 
plant is one of the disadvantages which the Chinese 
possesses in comparison with the Indian Atis. 
BLUE MOUNTAIN TEA. 
RY JOHN R. JACKSON, A.L.S. 
Curator of the Kew Museums. 
In a recent number of the ‘ Garden ’ we read that 
thirteen bales of Blue Mountain tea, weighing 1920 
lb., lately arrived in Chicago from Lower Hill Schuyl¬ 
kill county. This so-called tea has some interest 
attached to it in a pharmaceutical point of view, inas¬ 
much as the plant yielding it is an officinal plant 
in the United States, its use simply as a tea being 
hitherto considered of a secondary nature. The 
account in the ‘ Garden ’ proceeds as follows :— 
“ This tea is composed of the leaves of a variety of 
the golden rod family, botanically known as Solulago. 
It is gathered in large quantities on the Blue Moun¬ 
tains, and the mountains to the north of that range. 
The tea matures in the latter part of September, 
and is gathered until late in October. It is then 
cured and put up in packages, selling on the moun¬ 
tains at from twenty cents to thirty cents per pound, 
but retailing in villages and towns at one dollar per 
pound. The tea lias a very pleasant aromatic 
flavour, and is held by many persons in great es¬ 
teem.” 
The plant referred to here is evidently Solulago 
odora, Ait., called the Sweet-scented Golden-rod. It 
grows in woods and fields, more or less abundantly, 
in all parts of the United States, and is described as 
having a slender erect pubescent stem, growing two or 
three feet in height, linear-lanceolate leaves, entire, 
60 3 
acute, rough at the margin, and covered with pel¬ 
lucid dots, deep golden-yellow flowers, arranged in 
a terminal, compound, panicled raceme, the branches; 
of which spread almost horizontally ; the ray florets- 
are ligulate, oblong and obtuse, the disk florets, fun¬ 
nel-shaped, with acute segments; the leaves have 
an agreeable, warm, aromatic taste, and a fragrant 
odour; when subjected to distillation an aromatic,, 
volatile oil is produced, and by dissolving this in 
proof spirits an essence may be made. This, it is 
said, will stop vomiting, and correct the taste of 
medicines, even laudanum and castor oil. Applied 
externally it is a valuable remedy for allaying pain 
arising from headache. The oil is of a pale, greenish- 
yellow colour. 
Wood and Bache thus speak of the medical pro¬ 
perties and uses of this species of Solidago :—“ Aro¬ 
matic, moderately stimulant and carminative, and 
like other substances of the same class, diaphoretic 
when given in warm infusion. It may be used to 
relieve pain arising from flatulence, to allay nausea 
and to cover the taste or correct the operation of 
unpleasant or irritating medicines. For these pur¬ 
poses it may be given in infusion. The volatile oil 
dissolved in alcohol is employed in the Eastern States. 
According to Pursh, the dried flowers are used as of 
a pleasant and wholesome substitute for common. 
tea.” From this it will be gathered that though the 
plant lias been long known in America for its medi¬ 
cinal properties, the application of its leaves as of 
substitute for tea has some novelty in it. 
Another species of Solidago ( S . sempermrens, L.), 
called the narrow-leaved golden-rod, which grows 
in moist situations in North America, is by some' 
considered very valuable for the cure of wounds. 
The common golden-rod of our woods and thickets; 
(S. virgaurea, L.), which also grows in the United 
States, was at one time used with us as a diuretic 
and vulnerary. 
THE EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS IN CALIFORNIA..* 
The annual report of the Board of Directors of the 
California Pharmaceutical Society, in referring to the 
Eucahjptus globulus, quotes a letter from Dr. A. B. Stout,, 
contained in a paper read by Mr. R. E. C. Stearns be¬ 
fore the California Academy of Sciences in July last,, 
from which we abstract the following:— 
“ I am happy to contribute to your important article • 
on the culture and uses of the Eucalyptus in California,, 
my experience of the medical properties of that valuable 
plant. The Eucalyptus is not less precious for its medi¬ 
cinal virtues than it is ornamental in arboriculture and 
useful in the arts. Several months ago, incited by in¬ 
formation derived from the ‘Practitioner’ and other 
sources of knowledge, I collected and dried the leaves.. 
The agreeable empyreumatic oil of the leaves in evapo¬ 
rating, diffused a balmy odour through the house. I 
therefore considered that as this oil, as well as the- 
catechu gum and kino, and the cajeput oil, are all simi¬ 
lar hydrocarbons, their qualities must resemble the 
creasote, pyroligneous and carbolic acids in their disin¬ 
fectant and hygienic properties. I have no doubt that 
Eucalyptus has these properties in a milder or weaker 
degree, only differing in being accomparied with an 
agreeable perfume, wanting to creasote and carbolic 
acid. As a purifier, therefore, of the musty atmosphere 
and unpleasant emanations in basements and cellars, I 
have recommended the scattering of the dried leaves in 
* ‘The Western Lancet,’ vol. i. p. 696. 
