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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[fJi'J e 14, 1S7> 
pericarp ; in the other, the cells forming the endocarp, 
they are cuneiform, often slightly curved, and their very 
thick walls are canaliculate. The author found their 
mean size to be 0*025 mm. wide by 0*062 mm. long. 
Potato starch is easily distinguished from that of pepper 
by its simple, more or less rounded or ovoid or irregularly 
trigonal, strongly refractive grains. The largest measure 
0*180 m.m. All, except the smallest (which measure about 
0*010 m.m.), have a conspicuous, often stellate hilum, and 
their concentric zones are clearly visible. Dilute solution 
of caustic potash attacks them very rapidly. A yellow 
tissue contained in several of the specimens examined 
was distinguished easily by its elongated polygonal cells, 
with thin, clear, yellow walls, enclosing a slightly darker 
granular substance. It probably belonged to some olea¬ 
ginous cruciferous seed, or to linseed. 
In consideration of the great skill with which pepper is 
now adulterated, M. Bouchardat recommends that dealers 
should, as far as possible, buy their pepper whole and 
grind it themselves. 
NOTES ON ALOES.* 
BY EDWABD E. SQUIBB, M.D. 
A pretty close examination and cross-examination of the 
aloes of the commercial market, during the past few years, 
has led the writer to the inference that the differences in 
it are due quite as much to difference in mode of prepara¬ 
tion as to difference in species, climate, etc. Comparing 
the varieties of the market with the uses and effects of the 
drug, without too much dependence upon the books, it will 
be found that there are two distinct classes. 
Between these classes there seems to be a pretty sharp 
line of difference, while the individuals of each class shade 
off into each other without any well-marked boundary 
line. The prominent, and perhaps characteristic difference 
between the two classes of the drug is, that in their thera¬ 
peutic effect one is comparatively mild and gentle, and unirri¬ 
tating, with tonic and aromatic qualities, while the other is 
more harsh and drastic, producing more irritation, and 
much more liable to overaction. This difference adapts the 
individuals of the first class better to use in human beings, 
and renders a selection for the mildest among the indi¬ 
viduals very desirable, if not necessary, in the delicate 
organization of women, in the treatment of whose diseases 
this drug is so important and so valuable. The individuals 
of the second class are better adapted to the medication 
of animals, and by right should not be used for mankind. 
Carrying this therapeutic distinction into the drug 
market, and applying it closely, the two classes will be 
easily made out by a marked difference in the sensible 
properties. The one class is of a lighter colour, generally 
soft, and often semi-fluid in consistence, and varying in 
both colour and consistence with length of exposure to the 
air, and with temperature. The odour is entirely different, 
both in quality and degree, being aromatic in quality and 
feeble in degree. When strong, and approaching to the 
character of a stench, as it not unfrequently does, this 
may arise from decomposing animal matter, such as goat¬ 
skin, fragments of which are often found in the aloes. 
From the appearance of these fragments of skin, and 
fragments of the aloe plants, and from the presence of un¬ 
coagulated albumen, it seems almost certain that the in¬ 
dividuals of this class have not been subjected to artificial 
heating, but that the exuded juice is dried in the sun,— 
perhaps in goat-skins, which line a shallow excavation 
made in the sand at the stump of the plant, whose leaves 
may have been cut off near the ground and laid with their 
exuding, cut ends over the goat-skin. 
The second or more drastic class affords equal evidence 
of being prepared by artificial heat, and the depth of 
colour, to some extent, indicates the amount and quality 
_ *<From the ‘Proceedings of the American Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Association.’ 
of the heat used. Most, but not all, the varieties of this 
class give evidence of being made by decoction of the. 
plant, rather than by evaporation of juices obtained by 
exudation from the fresh plant. 
All the individuals of the first class are known in the 
market as Socotrine aloes, or occasionally as East India 
aloes; while the second class has no generic or class, 
name, but embraces the individual varieties which come 
from the West India Islands, and from Eastern and 
Southern Africa. This group is well represented by the 
commercial titles Barbadoes aloes, Cape aloes, etc. And 
each of the two names mentioned covers, in the market,, 
sub-varieties, produced neither in Barbadoes nor in the 
Cape of Good Hope. 
While some of the finer varities of this class are occa¬ 
sionally met with which are very aromatic and very nice, 
giving evidence of careful preparation, this is so rare an 
exception that it does not modify the judgment of the 
writer to the effect that the whole class should be excluded 
from the materia medica and pharmacy which is specially 
applicable to mankind, and be confined to the larger uses 
of veterinary practice, where it has special and very im¬ 
portant advantages over the other class. 
The so-called Socotrine aloes varies quite as much,, 
though all under one name, as the other class with its 
various names, but of late years there is a growing 
tendency in the market to separate it into two sub- 
varieties by difference in colour, so that it is now not un¬ 
common to hear of red Socotrine aloes, and yellow Soco¬ 
trine aloes, the red variety being justly held in the highest 
estimation. A curious observation, often verified by the 
writer, is that the red variety is always yellow at first, 
and gradually changes to red through intermediate shades, 
by age and exposure to the air : and that continued ex¬ 
posure tends constantly to deepen the red colour into 
garnet at first, and finally into reddish-black, when the 
edges are no longer translucent. The yellow sub-variety, 
however, does not become red by age and air contact, but 
only deepens, as it dries and becomes brittle, into a yellowish 
liver colour, or yellowish-brown, with very little of the red 
tinge, or none at all. This yellow subvariety it is in 
which the fetid, stinking odour is occasionally met with, 
and as both subvarieties are of the same yellow colour at 
one early stage, even of their drug market career, and at 
this stage distinguishable chiefly by odour and visible 
impurities, the question arises as to whether both are not 
from the same source, and the same process of prepara¬ 
tion, the parcels which become red being well and care¬ 
fully prepared, while the parcels which do not become 
red, may, from containing putrescible matter, undergo a 
fermentation which may destroy the elements upon which, 
the red colour depends, and other more valuable qualities, 
as the aroma, etc. 
The fetid odour of this subvariety is always diminished 
by age, and is altogether lost in the powder made from it. 
As a general rule this Socotrine aloes is much higher in 
price than any of the grades of aloes by decoction, and 
loses much more largely by drying. All except the finer 
parcels of the red variety require to be melted, diluted, 
and strained before they are fit for medical use, and the 
loss by straining varies very much, say from 5 to 10 per 
cent. It is curious to notice how small a proportion of 
these impurities is visible by inspection of the aloes before¬ 
hand. The average loss from straining and drying is per¬ 
haps 15 to 18 per cent., but has, in the writer’s experience, 
once reached 27 per cent, upon a large lot. The sub¬ 
stances separated by straining through a sieve of sixty 
meshes to the linear inch are chiefly pieces of goat-skin, 
shreds of the aloe plant, sticks, small stones, and hair. 
Exceptionally entire goat-skins are found in the parcels, 
and one was met with tied up at the openings, showing 
how the juice is transported to the packing places. One 
outlet—the neck—appeared to have been left open, as in. 
the transportation of grape-juice from the wine-presses, 
through which to pour out the contents. After being 
emptied—for it was found empty—this skin appears t 
