1030 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June 28, 1873. 
and Jateorrhiza calumba, Miers, which is the Cocculus 
palmatus of Wallich, hut not of De Candolle. In the 
British Pharmacopoeia the two species mentioned are, 
Jateorrhiza calumba , Miers, and J. Miersii, Oliv. 
Jateorrhiza Miersii is the name given by Oliver to 
J. palmata, Miers. The difference arises from the B. P. 
names having been taken from Oliver’s work, while 
those of the U. S. P. were taken from that of Miers. 
»> 
» 
» 
n 
a 
)> 
a 
» 
ft 
» 
n 
» 
?» 
» 
» » _ 
Gum resinous exudation. 
Changes in Description. 
1864. 1873. 
Acacia, concrete juice Gummy exudation. 
Tragacanth 
Ammoniacum 
Myrrha 
Galbanum 
Gambcrgia 
Benzoinum 
Scammonium 
Mastiche 
» tt 
Gum resin. 
» 
tt a 
Solid balsam. 
Resinous exudation. 
Concrete resinous exudation. 
Pix Burgundica, prepared 
concrete juice Prepared 
Pix Canadensis „ ,, „ 
Copaiba juice 
Terebinthina Canadensis 
Terebinthina 
Balsamum Tolutanum 
Balsamum 
55 
55 
55 
55 
Peruvianum, / Empyreumatic 
prepared juice \ sum 
Oleoresin. 
Liquid oleoresin. 
Concrete oleoresin. 
Semi-liquid balsam. 
liquid 
bal- 
Styrax 
Cassia Marilandica, leaves 
Ergota, diseased seed 
{ 
Balsam. 
Leaflets. 
The sclerotium of Claviceps 
purpurea, replacing the 
grain of Secale cereale. 
Vanilla, prepared unripe ( p ed imripe fru!t , 
capsule ( r 
01. Lini, oil Fixed oil, 
01. Ricini 
01. Tiglii 
55 
55 
55 
The new descriptions are much more accurate than 
those which they replace. For instance, the term exu¬ 
dation does not represent the juice of a plant, but only 
a part of its constituents. A little more uniformity, 
however, would be an improvement; thus myrrh and 
ammoniacum are termed gum resins, while galbanum 
and gamboge are called gum resinous exudations. If 
the word exudation is necessary, there is no reason why 
it should not be applied equally to myrrh and ammo¬ 
niacum. The same want of uniformity is shown in the 
B. P. with regard to these articles ; mastic is called 
a concrete resinous exudation, but scammony, which is 
certainly a concrete substance, is incorrectly described 
simply as a resinous exudation. Scammony is, how¬ 
ever, strictly speaking, a gum resin, since it contains 
about 6 per cent of gum, and is very properly so 
described in the B. P. Canada balsam is termed a 
liquid oleoresin, but copaiba simply an oleoresin, al¬ 
though the latter is generally much more liquid than 
the former. Balsam of tolu is described as a semi- 
liquid balsam, while styrax which has an equal claim 
to the title is simply called a balsam. 
A few other descriptions will also require atten¬ 
tion when a new edition is again issued. Jalapa, 
described in the last U. S. Pharmacopoeia as a root, 
is now called a tuber. This is not correct ; jalap is a 
tubercule, and is rightly described as such in the B. P. 
The term tuber should be restricted to an under¬ 
ground stem enlarged by a deposit of starchy or other 
matter for the nutrition of the plant, and the term 
tubercule applied only to roots which are enlarged 
in a similar way. The peculiar substances alluded 
to by Mr. Martindale, including alcohol amylicum, 
camphora, castoreum, cera flava, cetaceum, fermentum, 
guaiaci resina and moschus, have no better claim to 
be considered peculiar than a number of other articles 
of the materia medica, and there can be no reason 
why they should not be as well defined as they are 
in the B. P. 
Oleum amygdalae dulcis is now altered to oleum 
amygdalae expressum,, and is described as the fixed 
oil obtained from the kernel of the fruit of A . commu¬ 
nis. This is an improvement on the last edition, in 
which it was said to be derived from A. communis, 
var. dulcis , the fact being, that it is chiefly obtained 
from the var. amara , which is pressed for this purpose 
before distilling the essential oil, on account of the 
comparative cheapness of the bitter almond. Fcenicu- 
lum is now directed to be obtained from the F. duke, 
instead of F. vulgare as in the last edition. The 
former is considerably more aromatic and pleasant to 
the taste than the latter. There are two varieties 
met with in commerce, one short and somewhat 
pointed, and the other longer, more obtuse at the ends, 
and rather thicker at one end than the other. The 
long variety is the best, but of this fact no notice is 
taken here. 
Rheum. —Rhubarb is now, by the description 
of its geographical source, limited to the Asiatic 
varieties and thus the use of inferior kinds is 
excluded. At the time that the U. S. P. was pub¬ 
lished the true source of Rheum was not known and 
therefore it is still attributed to R. palmatum and 
other species.* 
Filix mas is now more correctly described as the 
rhizome covered with portions of the stipes, and the 
following directions are now added. “When used 
only such part of the rhizome as has retained its 
green colour should be employed, and the stipes 
being inert should be removed.” These directions 
would have been more intelligible if the fresh 
rhizome freed from the stipes had been directed 
to be used ; if the stipes be inert, there can be no 
reason why it should be official. 
Opium is now described as being obtained by 
incision and spontaneous evaporation. This is an 
exception to the general rule, being a longer descrip¬ 
tion than that given in the last edition. Opium is 
also now directed to be dried before analysis. This 
is an improvement, for it is impossible to give a fair 
estimate of the percentage of morphia unless this be 
done. According to the P. B. six to eight grains of 
morphia should be yielded by 100 grains of opium, 
but as good opium yields from 10 to 13 per cent, the 
percentage mentioned in the U. S. P. (10 per cent.) 
is not at all too high. 
In the secondary list the following alterations 
have been made in the descriptions given :— 
1864. 1873. 
Carthamus flowers Florets. 
Geum root. Rhizome. 
Heuchera „ „ 
Phytolaccse bacca, berries Fruit. 
Rottlera, powder and hairs Glandular powder and hairs. 
Tormentilla root Rhizome. 
It seems rather inconsistent to change the word 
berries into fruit and not to change the Latin bacca into 
fructus. 
The following changes have taken place with 
regard to the parts of plants that are official:— 
* See ante, p. 301. 
