October 29, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
345 
alcoholic solution expels carbonic acid from the alkaline 
carbonates. Analysis indicated the formula C 16 H 32 0 3 . 
The alkaline salts of this acid are soluble in water, the 
ether crystallizes in rhombic tables. 
Summarizing the result of this investigation, it ap¬ 
pears that the resin of Tampico jalap resembles convol- 
vulin in belonging to the class of conjugated sugar com¬ 
pounds or glucosidos, while it differs from that substance 
by its perfect solubility in ether and in composition. 
* Experiments made in the Kbnigsberg hospital to as¬ 
certain the medicinal action of Tampicin appear to show 
that in this respect it resembles true jalap resin, though 
it is less certain. Moreover, the use of this drug in the 
place of true jalap does not seem advisable, for although 
its price is only a third of what it was, the much smaller 
amount of resin it contains, and the large amount of al¬ 
cohol required for its extraction, renders tampicin dearer 
than convolvulin.—Abstract from paper in the Nates lie- 
pertorium fur Pharmacie , xix. 452. 
KASHMIR MORELS. 
RY M. C. COOKE, M.A. 
That Truffles and Morels are found in North-Western 
India and Kashmir, has for years been an article of faith 
with mycologists, although no opportunity has occurred for 
satisfactorily determining the species. It is quite true that 
names have been applied to them, but without just'eause. 
Through the kindness of Dr. J. L. Stewart we have 
at length received from Mr. Baden Powell, of Lahore, 
a string of dried Morels procured by him from Kashmir. 
This string contains two species, both of them small, and 
neither of them the Morchella esculenta of Europe, which 
the Rev. M. J. Berkeley has quoted as inhabiting Kash¬ 
mir. In a paper recently communicated to the Botanical 
Society of Edinburgh we have described these two Kash¬ 
mir Morels. 
In his ‘Notes on the Products of Kashmir,’* Lieutenant 
Lowther says, “ I saw fungi of all sizes and hues daily 
collected and devoured by old women, which in Europe 
would have entailed death to the eater. Either the soil 
of this favoured valley, or the stomachs of these hungry 
beldames, must be of an uncommon order. On the green 
slopes, which are constantly grazed on by sheep and 
homed cattle, I gathered quantities of superior mush¬ 
rooms, and observed numerous champillons (a French 
dainty) in the thickets on the hills. Morels or Truffles 
are produced, which are dried and sold in the chief mar¬ 
kets.” This writer mentions a Morel which sells at two 
annas per seer, and is called “Kungutch.” 
Honigberger says,f “ Morels are imported from the 
hills into Lahore, but are very little used by the natives, 
and the English use them not medicinally but for culi¬ 
nary purposes. The Morels which are brought from 
the Hozara country are large.” From this it would 
appear that another species of Morchella , quite different 
the two alluded to, is found in this region. 
Dr. Royle states in his Himalayan Botany that he 
only obtained specimens of common Morels, or M. esm- 
lent a , the “Kana Kuchoo” of the natives of India, which 
are every year brought down for sale from Kashmir, 
whence some fine specimens w r ere procured in 1831 by 
the plant-collectors detached from the Saharunpore Bo¬ 
tanic Garden. The recently-published ‘ Handbook of 
Punjab Products ’ states that large quantities of Morels 
are brought down from Kashmir to Umritsur. 
In his ‘ Punjab Plants ’ Dr. Stewart refers the Kash¬ 
mir Morel to J/. mnilibera , and gives as vernacular 
names, “ Kana kach,” “ Kangach,” “ Kana bichu” and 
“ Girch hatra,” and for the plains, “Khumb.” He 
adds, “ This appears to be abundant in and near Kash¬ 
mir, from which considerable quantities are, after drying, 
exported to the plains. 1 have only once noticed it 
growing fresh at 6000 feet, near Chumba. It is much 
* Journal of Agri.Sort. Society of India, viii. p. 207. 
f ‘ Thirty-five Years in the East/ p. 323. 
eaten by natives, both fresh and dry, and is said to be 
preferred by them to the mushroom. Dried, it is a not 
unsatisfactory addition to a stew, even for an European 
taste. I have no proof that a Morel which is found 
abundantly in the desert about Jhung, etc., and is said 
to be got near Hoshiarpur, etc., is the same species. It 
is considered a great dainty by the natives, and relished 
by those Europeans who have tasted it.” 
Dr. Henderson has remarked that “ in Shahpur and 
other districts where there is ‘ Kalr ’ in the soil, both 
Morels and mushrooms are abundant; the former in 
August and September, the latter in the end of the cold 
season, after heavy falls of rain.” He adds that he has 
seen Morels half a pound in weight and mushrooms half 
a foot in diameter. 
This is the sum of information that we have been able 
to collect respecting the Morels of Northern India; 
from which it appears that there is still one or more large 
species of Morel, different from the two here recorded. 
The dried Morels are perforated through the pileus, 
and strung upon coarse twine at about half an inch 
distance apart. Each fungus is from an inch to an inch 
and a half in length, and from a quarter to half an inch 
or more in diameter. Usually the short stem is broken 
off and the pileus alone remains. The specimens consist 
of the two species intermixed, of which the following are 
the specific characters:— 
Morchella deliciosa, Fries. —Pileus subcylindrical, 
acute, adnate at the base; 
ribs longitudinal, firm, 
connected by transverse 
folds; stem even, short; 
asci cylindrical; sporidia 
elliptical, one and a half 
diameters in length.—Fr. 
Sys. Myc. ii. p. 8 ; Kromb- 
holz, t. 16. f. 17-19. 
“ Kana kach,” “ Kan 
gach,” “Kana kuchoo” 
of Lahore. (Fig. 1. Spore 
magnified 500 diameters.) 
The total length of the 
dried specimens is an inch 
or an inch and a quarter, 
including the stem, which 
Fig. 1. Morchella deliciosa. -{ g a^Q^t one-fourth of the 
entire length. It differs from M. esculenta in its much 
smaller size, different form of areolae, longitudinal ribs and 
smaller sporidia, as well as other points. It is found in 
Java as well as Kashmir and Europe. The sporidia 
are -0006 in. long by ‘0004 in. broad. 
Morchella gigaspora, Cooke. —Pileus subcylindrical 
Fig. 2. Morchella. gigaspora. 
