February 22, 1873.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
663 
Mentha C unninijliami as a diaphoretic; the aromatic 
leaves of Angelica rosafolia as a diuretic and reme¬ 
dial in syphilitic cases; and the roots of Taraxacum 
Pens-leonis as an alterative. From these facts, and 
from the fact that the Flora of New Zealand includes 
many plants belonging to natural families noted for 
their medicinal properties, we might expect many at 
present unknown to prove valuable. In the admir¬ 
able essay from which we have quoted, the author, 
speaking on this part of the subject, selects the fol¬ 
lowing as examples:—“ The spicy bark of the lioro- 
pito ( Drimys axillaris), a species ranking next to the 
well-known I). 717 uteri of Cape Horn, which pro¬ 
duces the valuable Winter’s bark; the intensely 
bitter bark of the kowliai ( Sophora tetraptera), —it 
is worthy of notice that both African and East 
Indian kino is produced by plants of an allied genus 
of the same sub-order; the leaves of the wliarangi- 
piron ( Melicope ternatd), as allied naturally to the 
genus Diosma, species of which genus produce the 
well-known bucliu leaves, which the New Zealand 
Mclicopc also resembles in taste and smell; the kawa- 
kawa [Piper excelsum ),—many closely allied species 
of this genus (and of the next genus Cuheha ) are ex¬ 
tensively used as medicines in various parts of the 
world; "the aromatic succulent stems and roots of 
various species of Panax and of Aralia, of which 
several species are used in medicine, and the roots 
of P. quinqucefolium, are sold by the Americans to 
the Chinese for real ginseng root; the astringent 
bark and diuretic seeds of Sapota costata ; the roots 
of the two mountain gentians, which are just as 
purely bitter as those of the officinal Gentiana lutea ; 
the aromatic bark of the tawa ( Nesodaphne Taira), 
a plant belonging to the same natural order with those 
producing the cinnamon, cassia, sassafras, benzoin 
and camphor of commerce ; and lastly the wainatua 
( Euphorbia qlauca) may also prove useful as a me¬ 
dicine, seeing so very many species of the same 
genus have long been medicinally employed.” 
THE MICROSCOPE III PHARMACY. 
BY HENRY POCKLINGTON. 
(<Continued from p. 582.) 
Cusparre Cortex. —This bark is readily examined 
after a few days’ maceration in cold water, and 
presents hardly any difficult features. Commencing 
with the exterior we find flattened cubic cells, thin 
walled and devoid of contents, and of no special 
interest whatever. Beneath these are the more im¬ 
portant parenchymatous layers, with specialised cells 
and liber bundles. The outer cells of this layer are 
compressed somewhat, are thin walled and contain 
a yellowish-colouring matter. A few liber bundles 
and rapliide receptacula are seen in these outer¬ 
most layers, but these latter are much more numerous 
in the layers of uncompressed cells next in order. 
These cells are also thin walled, of varied shape, and 
contain only starch, a little colouring matter, and a 
granulated nitrogenous substance. They are re¬ 
markably irregular in size and shape, and their 
adhesion to each other by no means complete. Ap¬ 
parent intercellular spaces exist, and are filled with 
a brown resinoid substance. Special cells contain¬ 
ing raphides, acicular and intensely doubly refrac¬ 
tive, are frequent in portions of tliis layer, and re¬ 
quire a little care in examination, as at first sight 
their rapliidian contents are not to be distinguished. 
Rupture of the enveloping membrance of course sets 
the matter at rest. Interspersed with the raphide¬ 
bearing cells are largo cells with thin walls, contain¬ 
ing a brown colouring matter similar to that already 
spoken of. Unless care be taken in removing this 
matter by means of ether, or bisulphide of carbon, 
and alcohol, the specialised character of the cells 
containing it will not be evident. Their walls are 
exceeding^ thin, and the whole cell is frequently 
tom away by the cutting instrument employed, 
leaving a hole that might be mistaken for a large 
intercellular space. It is best to watch the action of 
the solvents employed under a magnifying glass. The 
cell walls of these receptacula stain intensely with 
magenta, and are best seen when so stained. On 
the innermost margin of these layers of large paren¬ 
chymatous cells are seen large liber bundles, very 
distinguishable in a magenta stained transverse 
section, but best studied in a vertical section. The 
liber cells are of very considerable length, are wholly 
filled with secondary deposits and not specially in¬ 
teresting. Within these are the newer layers of the 
bark containing large oval resin-receptacula, a few 
rapliide cells and a variety of granular substances. 
The medullary rays, extending as far as the liber 
bundles, are formed of cubic cells filled with a nitro¬ 
genous substance which stains intensely with ma¬ 
genta, and containing also small quantities of starch. 
The starch present varies in quantity, and is in 
single, minute, obovate granules with indistinctliilum. 
It is feebly doubly refractive, and the black cross can 
only be seen by aid of careful manipulation. And 
here I will digress a short space for the benefit of 
those friends who fail to find the black cross in 
wheat starch, and in Portland arrowroot (arum 
maculatum starch), although they are successful with 
such starches as those of canna (tons les mois) and 
potato. Certain starches are generally said, even 
in good text-books, not to give the cross, and this 
is given as a characteristic feature. It, therefore, is 
of importance that the matter should be inquired 
into, and the cause of the error found, if error it be. 
I have for some years devoted such of my leisure as 
I could spare from more pressing scientific work to 
the examination of starches under nearly all possible 
circumstances, and I find that, rightly treated, 
nearly all are doubly refractive, and give a cross by 
polarized light. And further, I am much disposed to 
think that in the few cases where I have failed to see 
the cross, it has been from want of sufficiently skil¬ 
ful manipulation. Anyhow, the starch of wheat (as 
I have before observed) and the starches of arum and 
rice do give a very distinct cross, but not unless im¬ 
mersed in balsam or dammar. Different starches 
require different treatment in preparing; some must 
not be heated in the slightest degree, others will 
bear a considerable temperature. A few give a 
decided cross if examined in water or alcohol, others 
in glycerine. Many require, as wheat, to be im¬ 
mersed in balsam or dammar, and a few" others are 
best in oil of anise or even carbon disulphide. It 
will be seen from this that the refractive index o 
the medium, and probably also its penetrative pro 
perties as regards the starch, seriously affects the 
optical reactions of the starch, and that we are not 
justified in saying that no cross can be seen, unless 
we have tried the effect of fluids of various refractive 
powers upon the starch in question. This point is 
so generally overlooked that the digression may be 
