201 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [September 9,1871. 
cussed, viz. the restoration of pharmacy, the duty 
to protect it against contagion of trade, to guard it 
against quackery, to improve the position of phar¬ 
macy and its sister, medicine, and to secure the 
sacred rights of humanity. 
We cannot fail to observe that in Spain more 
than in other countries pharmacy and medicine go 
hand in hand, both professions taking equal rank; 
and this will explain that pharmacology there is 
not so much allied with therapeutics as with phar¬ 
macy. In conjunction with therapeutics pharma¬ 
cology is only met with in French books translated 
into Spanish, whereas the relationship to pharmacy 
appears in all recent original Spanish books. We 
will only quote two, viz., ‘ Manual de Analysis 
Quimica aplicada a las Ciencias Medicas,’ por Don 
T. R. Gomez Pamo, Dr. Pliarm., a Member del 
Colegio de Farmaceuticos de Madrid, 1870. It 
contains the direct application of medicine and 
pharmacy, chapters on mineral springs, Spanish 
and foreign, on fluids of the human body, on ali¬ 
ments and medicaments, then practical methods for 
analysing industrial products most in use, and a 
short Tractado de Toxicologia. 
The second work we select is ‘ Quimica Organica 
General y Aplicada a la Farmacia, Medicina, In- 
dustria, Agricultura y Artes, por el Dr. Don G. de 
la Puerta, Professor of Pharmacy at the University 
of Madrid, 1870. 
Although the profession may not be quite so ad¬ 
vanced as in other countries, still there is an active 
tendency to progress. The prescribing and dis¬ 
pensing are simple and rational, and no trace is left 
of the complicated formulas of the Galeno-Arabic 
time, although they obtained until the sixteenth 
century.— Buchner's Peepert. d. Pliarm. 
INQUIRIES RELATING TO PHARMACOLOGY AND 
ECONOMIC BOTANY.* 
BY DANIEL HANBURY, F.R.S., 
AND PROFESSOR OLIVER, F.R.S. 
From the Admiralty Manual of Scientific Inquiry. 
is certain that this tree is capable, under favourable cir¬ 
cumstances, of yielding a highly fragrant resin which 
was once much valued. Authentic specimens of this 
resin, which is the original and legitimate storax , are 
much desired. It was formerly produced in the south 
of Asia Minor, where the tree is still found in abundance. 
Salep. —Obtain specimens of the different plants 
which yield salep in Asia Minor and Persia, and espe¬ 
cially of those that afford the best kinds. 
Larch Agaric (Polyporus officinalis , Fries).— This 
fungus now comes from Northern Russia, where it grows 
on the stems of Larix sibirica , Ledcb. During the mid¬ 
dle ages it was exported from Asia Minor; and in tlio 
Paris Exhibition specimens from this region, that is to 
say, from the Gulf of Adalia, were exhibited. What is 
the tree from which this Asiatic Agaric is obtained ? 
Assafcetida.— Although the ordinary assafoetida of 
commerce is doubtless the produce of Narthax Assafce¬ 
tida, Falc., there are some varieties of the drug which, 
it is reasonable to conclude, are derived from other spe¬ 
cies. One of those sent from India to the Great Exhibi¬ 
tion of 1851 was a brown pellucid gum-resin, containing 
pieces of the stalk of the plant, and differing consider¬ 
ably from ordinary assafoetida. 
Sagapenum, a gum-resin resembling assafoetida, but 
not acquiring a pink colour upon exposure to the air, 
and of not so strong an alliaceous odour. As it is occa¬ 
sionally shipped from Bombay, it is presumed that it is 
produced in Persia. Though it has been used in medi¬ 
cine for ages, its botanical origin is not ascertained ; from 
analogy, however, we may infer that it is the produce of 
some large plant of the Natural Order Umbellifercc. 
Compared with assafoetida and galbanum, sagapenum is 
a rare and costly drug. 
Galbanum. —The remarks we have made upon saga¬ 
penum apply, to a great extent, to the gum-resin known 
as Galbanum. Galbanum is, however, a far more abun¬ 
dant substance than sagapenum. It occurs in trade in 
two varieties, which are so distinct as to lead to the in¬ 
ference that they are yielded by distinct plants. Galba¬ 
num is said to be imported into Russia in large quanti¬ 
ties by way of Astrachan, but that which reaches Eng¬ 
land comes principally from Bombay. 
Opopanax, another foetid gum-resin, the produce, ac¬ 
cording to most authorities, of Opopanax Chironium , Koch, 
a large umbelliferous plant, native of the south of Eu¬ 
rope, and of Asia Minor. There is no modern account 
of the collection of this drug, nor is its place of produc¬ 
tion ascertained. 
Asia Minor, Armenia, and Persia. 
Gum Tragacanth is produced in Asia Minor by seve¬ 
ral species of Astragalus , which it is desirable further to 
identify. Travellers and others who have the oppor¬ 
tunity should preserve specimens of any species seen to 
yield the gum, as well as specimens of the gum itself; 
noting at the same time whether the latter was obtained 
from incision in the stem, or whether exuded sponta¬ 
neously. Fine gum tragacanth is produced at Caissar 
(or Kaisarieh) and \ alavatz, in Asia Minor, at which 
places the practice of making longitudinal incisions in 
the stem of the shrub is adopted; the gum is also col¬ 
lected at Isbarta, Bourda, Angora, etc. 
Gum tragacanth is frequently adulterated with an¬ 
other gum, which has been called False Tragacanth, Bog 
Gum , Bassora Gum , or Gum Kutcra. At Smyrna it ap¬ 
pears to.be known, as Caraman Gum. What is its origin F 
One of its properties is to swell up into an opaque mass 
upon being placed in water, in which, however, it does 
not dissolve. 
Storax.—N one of the storax found in commerce in 
modern times is derived from Styrax officinale, L.; yet it 
* Information relating to any of the subjects here referred 
to may be addressed to Mr. Hanbury, Clapham Common, pear 
London, or to Professor Oliver, Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Africa—West Coast. 
Copal. —Sierra Leone copal is produced by Guibourtia 
copallifera, Bennett, Kobo of the natives : of this tree, 
which is not well known, specimens, including the ripe 
pods,, are requested; it grows at Goderich and in other 
localities near Sierra Leone. 
Grains of Paradise.— Although Amo-mum Mclcgueta , 
Roscoe, the plant which yields this drug, is now well 
known, there are some interesting species nearly allied, 
with which botanists are very imperfectly acquainted. 
It is, therefore, desirable to procure specimens of such 
plants from various parts of the West Coast of Africa. 
These specimens should comprise the flowers and fruits, 
as well as the foliage. As the flowers are very delicate, 
it is necessary to preserve them in spirit of wine. Some 
specimens of the fruits should also be preserved in the 
same manner. As the species often grow intermixed, 
and as flowers and fruits are produced at different sea¬ 
sons, special care is requisite to avoid confusion. 
African Turmeric is said to be the rhizome of Ganna 
spcciosa, Rose., but further investigation is desirable. 
Living roots might easily be procured at Sierra Leone, 
and sent to England for cultivation. 
African Mammee (Ochrocarpus africanus, Oliv.), native 
of Sierra Leone and Prince’s Island. Specimens of the 
tree, and (in alcohol) of the fruits, which are as large 
as an orange, arc requested. 
