178 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[August 26, 1871* 
A large percentage of ergot in corn flour is highly 
dangerous, and has often been the cause of epidemics 
(ignis sacer, pestis ignaria), especially in France, also in 
Brabant, Germany, Italy and Sweden. The detection 
of ergot in flour is therefore of the utmost importance. 
The most delicate test is a mixture of one part of sul¬ 
phuric acid and ten parts of alcohol, -which dissolves the 
colouring matter, producing a beautiful red colour; the 
specific smell of trimethylamin, on addition of potash, is 
also decisive; and lastly, the treatment with bisulphide 
of carbon, which extracts the fatty oil, of which pure 
flour contains but traces. 
IItrice. 
A useful hint is given how to prepare dried herbs for 
microscopic investigation, so as to give them the required 
elasticity, viz. to place them for a couple of hours on 
moistened sand under a bell jar. 
Herba Cannabis indiccc. Cannabis sativa, L. Indian 
Hemp. 
The hemp cultivated in Europe, on account of its 
tough bark-fibre and oil, differs but slightly in botanical 
characteristics from that grown in Asia and Africa, and 
the more drastic action of the bark is entirely due to 
climatic influences. There are two varieties of Indian 
hemp. Gunjah or Ganja, from the mountains of northern 
India, is of superior quality, but more scarce than Bang or 
Guaza. Very little is known of the active principles of 
Indian hemp, the resin and essential oil obtained from 
the plants appear to be the joint cause of the narcotic 
action. The resin, cannabine, or hadshischine, has not 
yet been analysed ; it is extremely bitter, soluble in the 
usual solvents of resins, but not in alkalies: the essential 
oil, according to Personne, consists of a liquid, canna- 
bene CggH^, and a crystalline substance, cannabene hy¬ 
dride C 36 H 4 ,. Liford and Martius found oxygen in the 
oil. 
Herba Maticcc. Artanthe elongate, Miq. Matico leaves. 
The active principles are a resin, an essential oil and 
tannin. The essential oil is contained in separate large 
globular cells with thin walls, -which are dispersed in the 
microphyll, but chiefly under the epidermis of the upper 
side of the leaf; tannin is found in all microphyll cells, 
besides chlorophyll; sections of the leaf are coloured 
blackish-green by solution of iron salts. 
Another variety, Artanthe adunca , Miq., has been im¬ 
ported more recently from South America; the leaves of 
the last are not serrated, they are underneath rough, 
stiff, almost leathery, the tertiary nerves project but 
little, and connect the secondary nerves without forming 
meshes. The inhabitants of South and Central America 
designate as matico several herbs which are known as 
styptics. It is reported that this specific property was 
accidentally discovered by a Spanish soldier during the 
War of Independence from Spanish supremacy, w T ho, in 
default of other means, bound up his wounds with matico 
leaves; hence the name Yerva soldado or Palo del soldado. 
Herba Absinthii. Artemisia Absinthium, L. Wormwood. 
Yields from a half to two per cent, of essential oil, 
contained in separate round glands in all the herbaceous 
parts of the plants, chiefly in the leaves. Soil and cli¬ 
mate exert the greatest influence upon the quality of 
wormwood ; the plant which grows wild in sunny, stony 
places is the best, whereas if cultivated in gardens it 
loses much of its medicinal value. 
Herba Spilanthis oleraccce. Spilanthes oleracea, Jacq. 
Paraguay lioux. 
Microscopic examination show’s in the texture of the 
leaves, in the barks of the stalks, besides chlorophyll in 
most of the parenchyma cells, colourless oil-globules, 
which turn reddish-brown on addition of solution of 
iodine. In South America, its native country, Paraguay 
roux, or para oreso, has long been known as an anti¬ 
scorbutic ; the tincture made from fresh leaves is officinal 
in Germany, and is used for toothache. 
Herba Galeopsidis. Galcopsis ochroleuca , Lamarck. 
This herb has long been used in Germany and France 
as a popular specific in diseases of the chest; it gained 
great popularity in 1811, w’hen it w r as found to be the 
principal ingredient of a quack medicine, known as Lie- 
ber’s herbs for consumption : it was received into most 
Pharmacopoeias, chiefly to counteract the Lieber swindle,, 
and although perhaps harmless and useless, it still enjoys 
a certain popularity. 
Herba Lobelicc. Lobelia inflate, Linn. Indian tobacco. 
It tastes disagreeably sharp and irritating, resembling 
that of tobacco, hence its English name; the fresh plant 
is replete with a white, very acrid chyle, distributed in 
netlike vessels through all its parts; this is undoubtedly" 
the agent of the medicinal activity, although it is not yet 
knowm. The active principle, according to Calhoun, is 
a volatilo narcotic alkaloid, called lobeline, similar to 
nicotine, combined with lobelic acid; besides this, thero 
has been found in the herb a resin, a gum and traces of' 
an essential oil, and in the seed 30 per cent, of a rapidly- 
drying fatty oil. 
Herba Aconiti. Aconitum Kapellus, Linn. Aconite leaves. 
Most Pharmacopoeias demand the wild-growing plant 
for the extract, the only exception is the British Phar¬ 
macopoeia, which prescribes the cultivated plant. 
Herba Cochlearice. Cochlearia officinalis, Linn. Scurvy' 
grass. 
The fresh herb on being rubbed developes a pungent,, 
volatile smell, resembling mustard oil; the dried herl> 
has entirely lost its pungency. The fresh, blooming 
herb yields not more than from 0 - 02 to 0 - 05 per cent, of 
an essential oil (CjoHjoSoOj, Geissler), this is not ready- 
formed in the plant, but is produced by the action of a 
substance similar to, perhaps identical with, myrosine of 
the mustard seed. The activity of this substance is de¬ 
stroyed by drying the plant; dried scurvy-grass treated 
with myrosine yields the essential oil, but not by itself. 
This oil forms with ammonia, like mustard oil, a crystal¬ 
line base. The officinal spiritus cochlearice sometimes^ 
deposits crystalline needles of the composition C 12 H 14 0 4 ,. 
often also sulphur crystals. The spirit was first used as- 
an anti-scorbutic by Weir, as far back as 1557. 
ffafw anli (Queries. 
*** In order to facilitate reference, correspondents are 
requested to mark their answers in each case with the title 
rnd number of the query referred to. 
Ho notice can be taken of anonymous communications - 
All queries or answers should be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer. 
[276.]—AERATED WATERS.— W. II. wishes to 
have a recipe for making gingerade, lemonade, or soda- 
water with a machine. 
[277.]—GOLDEN HAIR DYE.—“ Crinis” asks for 
a receipt for a golden hair dye that will not injure the 
skin. 
[278.]—HOT-AIR BATH.—Perhaps some reader 
would kindly inform me of the best plan of constructing 
a hot-air bath for drying large quantities of a certain 
paste ; as it has to be thinly spread, a large surface is re¬ 
quired. A uniform low temperature, without constant 
w’atching, is also an object?— Nubes. 
[279.]—ESSENCE OF BAYONNE.—Can any reader 
inform me of the nature of a substance called essence of 
bayonne, and where it is to be procured ?—J. J. Thomas- 
[280.]—DISPENSING.—The following prescriptions., 
have been handed to me to prepare ; I would like to hear 
the opinion of some of the readers of the Journal om 
them:— 
P>. Potass. Ilydr. 5iij 
Aquce ^viij M. 
Sig. coch. mag. ter in die. 
