22G 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [September 16,1871. 
nine with a few drops of acetic acid. Add the "bismuth 
solution to the pepsin, then the balance of the fluids, and 
finally the solution of strychnia. 
Each fluid ounce contains: pepsin, 16 grains; citrate 
of bismuth, 4 grains ; strychnine, 1-16th grain. 
Ferrophosph. Elixir Gentian .—- 
P> Cort. Aurantii 1 oz. 
Sem. Coriand. 1 dr. 
Macis 1 dr. 
Rad. Gentian. 1 oz. 
Spts. Yini Dcod. 4 oz. 
Aquas 4 oz. 
,, Flor. Aurantii 2 oz. 
Syrupi 6 oz. 
Ferri Pyrophosph. 256 grs. 
Reduce the roots, seeds, etc., to a moderately fine pow¬ 
der, pack in a percolator—mix the spirits and w r aters, 
and percolate 10 ounces. Dissolve the pyrophosphate of 
iron, add the syrup and filter. 
Each fluid ounce represents: 16 grains pyrophosph. 
iron; 30 grains gentian. 
THE COLLECTION OF MASTIC AT CHIOS. 
► 
BY M. J. LEON SOUBEIRAN. 
Mastic flows from the Fistacia lentiscus , a Terebin- 
thaceous tree, growing principally in the south of the 
Isle of Chios, about Cape Mastic, which takes its name 
from this resin, and is situated about an hour’s journey 
£rc*n the city of Chios. According to the natives it 
exudes, not only from artificial incisions, but also spon¬ 
taneously from the branches, where it congeals in drops, 
•which, under the name of dakra (tears), are gathered 
separately, and constitute the most esteemed kind. But 
the bulk of the resin issues from vertical incisions skil¬ 
fully made with a knife close together round the whole 
circumference of the trunk, from the root to the branches. 
A few hours after this operation, which is «lone about 
the middle of June, there issues from the incisions a 
resinous, transparent, aromatic substance, -which soon 
solidifies. After fifteen or twenty days this resin is 
collected in little baskets, lined with white paper or 
clean cotton cloths. Previous to this time the ground 
underneath the tree is covered so as to prevent the juice, 
which runs plentifully, from being soiled by the earth. 
If such contamination does take place, care is taken to 
cleanse it directly it is collected. The production of 
resin, which is collected by women and children, lasts 
about six months, and is valued at about £8 to £10 for a 
full-grown tree. 
The mastic that exudes spontaneously is divided into 
two kinds,—the kadisto, which averages in value 100 
Turkish piastres, the oke of 1200 grammes, and the 
phliskari , which has nearly the same value. That which 
drops from the incisions and is picked up from the 
ground is the pcetta, worth 80 piastres the oke; whilst 
the worst quality, that which is mixed with earth, called 
phluda , is only worth from 40 to 60 piastres. 
The annual production is about 2,000,000 drachms, 
and is attributed, by the natives of Chios, to the inter¬ 
vention of Saint Isidore, martyred in that island in the 
third century; the drops of blood of that martyr having 
given birth, they say, to the mastic tree. 
In the East mastic is employed to strengthen the gums 
and to perfume the breath. It is at present little used 
in medicine, but principally in the arts, in the prepara¬ 
tion of varnish. 
A turpentine which has enjoyed a great reputation is 
also obtained at Chios, from the Fistacia Terebinthus, by 
means of more or less deep incisions m the trunks of the 
larger trees.— Journal de Fharmacie et de Chimie . 
THE INFLUENCE OF SUNLIGHT ON PETROLEUM 
OILS. 
BY M. GItOTOWSIvY. 
In some recent experiments made by M. Grotowsky, 
he has shown that when petroleum oils are exposed, 
under certain conditions, to sunlight, they absorb oxygen 
from the air, which is converted into ozone, a pheno¬ 
menon that has already been observed in some other 
hydrocarbons. No chemical combination takes place 
between the oil and the ozone, but the latter remains 
free, and oxidizes strongly any substance with which it 
comes in contact. 
In oils containing ozone the smell is completely modi¬ 
fied ; they burn with difficulty, and attack rapidly the 
stoppers of the vessels containing them, especially if the 
stoppers be of cork. When glass vessels are used, it has 
been found that the colour of the glass exercises a great 
influence over the absorption of oxygon. Decolorized 
oils, exposed in white glass vessels to the action of sun¬ 
light, turn yellow, become charged strongly with ozone, 
and burn with difficulty. This is principally the case 
with the American petroleums. They should therefore 
be kept in metallic vessels, or if glass bo used, it should 
be shaded as much as possible from the sun. 
ACONITINE. 
MM. Grehant and Duquesnel recently presented to 
the French Academy of Sciences a memoir on aconitine, 
which M. Duquesnel has succeeded in extracting from 
Aconitnm Napellus in the form of rhombic or hexagonal 
plates. The alkaloid is the active principle of this plant. 
In order to obtain it, the author extracted the root of 
the Aconitum by concentrated alcohol, with the addition 
of 1 per cent, of tartaric acid; the excess of alcohol was 
then removed by distillation, and the residue diluted 
with water in order to precipitate the fatty and resinous 
matters. The aqueous solution of tartrate of aconitine 
was then treated with an alkaline bicarbonate in order 
to set the alkaloid at liberty, this latter being scarcely 
very slightly soluble in water. It dissolves in ether, 
which, on evaporation, leaves it in the crystalline 
condition. M. Duquesnel assigns to it the formula 
C 54 H 40 NO 2 . Aconitine is very slightly soluble in water, 
very soluble in alcohol, ether, benzine and chloroform. 
It is not volatile, and commences to decompose about 
130° C. Its reaction is feebly alkaline. It combines 
with acids to form crystallizable salts; the author cites 
the acetate as presenting abundant crystals. Phosphoric 
acid, tannine, potassium iodide and iodate, and the 
double mercury and potassium iodate, produce the ordi¬ 
nary reactions on organic alkaloids. Aconitine is a 
powerful poison, its physiological action being analogous 
to that of curari, destroying the motor power of the 
nerves, but leaving the power of producing reflex actions 
untouched, at least in small doses.— Fcvuc Scientifique. 
Maquey. —This plant, more commonly called the 
hemp aloe, is found in most parts of the Philippine 
Islands. The natives obtain the fibre from it by cutting 
the thorns off and scraping the loaves on a block of 
wood with a shell until the pulpy matter is cleared 
away; the fibre is then hung up in tho sun to dry. 
Another method is to beat, out the leaves with a mallet 
and steep them in water for five days, the fibre is then 
easily obtained. This plan is much easier than the first, 
but the quality of filament produced is somewhat inferior. 
Very fine textures were at one time made from the fibre 
of the maquey, but it is now chiefly used by the natives 
for fishing purposes. Tho maquey fibre, after being- 
steeped in a mixture of blood and lime, is said to be 
impervious to water.— Consul's Report . 
