THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
746 
[March 18,1871. 
to say; but no, it was the corner of that ‘Bentley’ lying 
on the table. And so I awoke. 
Moral. 
If you want to learn botany, do not begin by study¬ 
ing an advanced work on the subject, and by cramming 
yourself with names and details that, if you have a good 
memory, may enable you to pass your examination, but 
which, unless you have struck the keynote of your work, 
will very probably be soon afterwards forgotten, or re¬ 
duced to the state of jumble portrayed above. 
Instead of this, provide yourself with a pocket lens 
and a sharp penknife ; take an early walk into the coun¬ 
try, and bring back a few common flowers, pulling them 
up by the roots. A buttercup will do excellently well 
to begin with, as it is a representative of the first Natural 
Order, and is a good plant to work upon. Examine it 
carefully by the aid of a simple elementary work, such 
as Oliver’s ‘ Lessons in Botany,’—a cheap book,—and by 
the time you have got through a few common plants and 
a few chapters of your book, you will begin to take an 
interest in your subject, and will be glad to turn to the 
pages of ‘Bentley’ for further and necessary knowledge, 
—a book which, if taken up first-hand is “worse than 
Greek ” to many. By pursuing this course, you will be 
learning at the same time both systematic and struc¬ 
tural botany,* and, as far as the mere examination goes, 
you will gladden the heart of your examiner by showing 
him that you practically understand your subject, and 
that, even if your knowledge be limited, it is sound. 
Beyond this, however, and what is of far more impor¬ 
tance, you will obtain some real insight into botany, 
which will not be merely ornamental, but will be of 
direct personal utility as long as you follow the pharma¬ 
ceutical profession. 
William Southall. 
EEPORT ON THE CULTIVATION OF CINCHONA AT 
DARJEELING FOR THE HALF-YEAR ENDING 
SEPTEMBER 30, 1870. 
FROM C. B. CLARKE, ESQ., M.A., 
Officiating Superintendent , Botanic Garden, and in charge 
of Cinchona Cultivation in Bengal , to the Officiating 
Secretary to the Government of Bengal , General Depart¬ 
ment. 
The season has been unusually wet, the rainfall 
having already (25th October) amounted at the inspection 
bungalow to 200 inches, whereas the total fall for the year 
averages 180 inches only. The health of the plantations 
of C. succirubra and C. calisaya has remained good, and 
their growth satisfactory, though somewhat less than 
that of the preceding year. But C. officinalis has suffered 
more than during previous rainy seasons, and all hope 
must be abandoned that this species can be grown to an 
economic profit at Rungbee. 
Taking the plantation called the 5th in the tabular 
report, which represents best the present centre of the 
plantations, it will appear that the average growth of 
the measured plants of C. calisaya for the half-year has 
been 36 inches, and that of C. succirubra 22 inches. The 
latter, from accidental circumstances in choice of the 
plants measured, is too low, and does not represent 
fairly the growth of plants of that age in that part of the 
* To any one desiring to pursue English botany further, I 
should^ recommend Bentham’s ‘Handbook of the British 
I lora. There are pharmacists among us, men of our own 
order, who are specially qualified to write an introductory 
treatise on botany more immediately applicable to the wants 
ot pharmaceutical students. Oliver’s instructions are too 
limited in their range; his work might be amplified to great 
advantage in our particular direction. Whoever (and names 
rise instinctively to the mind) deigned to contribute such a 
manual would confer an incalculable benefit on many a per¬ 
plexed student, and effectually prepare him for the full enjoy¬ 
ment of more advanced abstract compendiums. 
plantation. The best plants of C. succirubra and C. cali¬ 
saya have, within three years of planting out, surpassed 
20 feet in height. No measurement is given of C. offi¬ 
cinalis ; it may be said generally of the older plants 
that some 40 per cent, perished during the last six 
months, and that those which survived did not grow. 
The number of plants of C. officinalis has been by estima¬ 
tion reduced from 930,704 on 31st of March, 1870, to 
440,000 on 30th of September, 1870, but it would be 
best, in any calculations regarding these plantations, to 
write off these 440,000 at once ; for, though some of 
them may survive for years, there is no probability that 
any profitable result will ever be derived from them. 
Throughout the C. officinalis plantation, below 4500 
feet level, C. succirubra was planted in 1869 in order to 
utilize the area^ kept clean at considerable expense. 
These young C. succirubra promise exceedingly well. 
The 164,615 plants of C. succirubra planted out during 
the early part of the six months under report were re¬ 
quired to fill up the 1000 acres of that species as designed 
by Dr. T. Anderson. The 33,101 plants of C. officinalis 
were put out at a higher level (5000 feet) than before as 
an experiment. 
By far the greater portion of the coolie labour is 
spent in scouring the young plantations during the rains. 
In order to ensure a sufficient supply of labour at this 
period, it is necessary (as in the surrounding tea planta¬ 
tions) to maintain the coolies during the year, so that 
during the cold weather it has been difficult to devise 
sufficient employment for them. The cold weather is 
the best time for planting out; and in accordance with 
Dr. T. Anderson’s advice, it is proposed, during the en¬ 
suing cold season, to employ them in planting out C. 
succirubra in a rough way on some portions of the re¬ 
serve, which are at too high a level for C. calisaya to 
thrive upon. And it is for this purpose that a con¬ 
siderable quantity of C. succirubra seed has been raised, 
put down at 500,000 (including some stock raised by 
cuttings). 
C. calisaya has set its seed very favourably during the 
last two months. This seed should ripen in the course 
of next spring: and it is hoped that in future the quan¬ 
tity of seed produced will be sufficient to enable the ex¬ 
tension of C. calisaya in any quantity that may be thought 
desirable. 
Rungbee , near Darjeeling , 
October 25th, 1870. 
NOTE ON AROMATIC SULPHURIC ACID (U.S.). 
BY JOIIX W. EHRMAH. 
Every dispenser is acquainted with the objections 
which may be brought up to the present officinal for¬ 
mula for aromatic sulphuric acid. As the committee on 
revision of the pharmacopoeia is now in session, it is 
to be hoped that the formula under consideration may 
be modified, and with it several others of a like nature. 
The aromatic sulphuric acid is used most extensively 
as a solvent for sulphate of quinia, in prescription, 
usually with watery or syrupy vehicles. When pre¬ 
scribed alone for the medicinal effects of the acid, it is 
not unfrequently diluted in order to modify its taste, 
and, avoiding the use of drops, to render its administra¬ 
tion more convenient. 
Now, when the elixir of vitriol is associated in this 
manner with watery fluids, the colouring and extractive 
matter becoming insoluble in the menstruum, precipi¬ 
tates, and the result is a muddy mixture instead of the 
clear solution we should otherwise obtain. But the 
elixir of vitriol, even undiluted, is constantly undergoing 
change, with the continual deposition of a bulky preci¬ 
pitate, so that it can be dispensed in a bright condition 
only by frequent filtration. This, of course is exceed¬ 
ingly annoying, and it is a reproach to the progress of 
pharmacy that the formula has been so long retained 
without material change. The old method of preparing 
