358 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[October 28,1871. 
from prejudices and superstition, the effect of their me¬ 
dicines. The art of healing in China is nearly in the 
same state now as it was forty-six centuries ago. .The 
terms used in Chinese medicine to designate the action 
of medicines are quite as intelligible to the European as 
to the Chinese physician. As illustrating this, the fol¬ 
lowing passages, which appear in every Chinese hook 
on medicine, are cited :— 
“All medicines that are sweet belong to the element 
earth and affect the stomach; all medicines that are 
hitter belong to the element fire, which enters the 
heart,” etc. 
“All medicines, on account of their properties that 
are cold, hot, warm, and cool, belong to the yang, or 
male energy in nature; while their tastes, as sour, bitter, 
sweet, acid, and salt, belong to the yin, or female 
energy.” 
Another passage, which we quote, illustrates the sin¬ 
gular minds of these remarkable people :— 
“ The upper and lower, the internal and external, 
parts of medicinal plants have each their corresponding 
effects on the human system. The peel or bark has in¬ 
fluence over the flesh and skin; the heart (pith) ope¬ 
rates on the viscera, etc. The upper half of the roots 
of medicinal plants has the properties of ascending the 
system, while the lower half has that of descending.” 
Besides the use by Chinese physicians of products 
having no active properties whatever, it is remarkable 
how indifferent they are as to the quality of the articles 
they use. The means of preserving drugs in a Chinese 
shop are such, that many of them soon lose their efficacy, 
if they ever had any. In the neighbourhood of Peking 
there is to be found an abundance of excellent pepper¬ 
mint, containing much more volatile oil than our Eu¬ 
ropean plants ; but the exsiccated plants, obtained from 
the Chinese druggists, differ scarcely from hay. It is 
likewise difficult to find in the Chinese apothecaries’ 
shops rhubarb of good quality. Although the best 
rhubarb in European commerce is that brought from 
China, that used commonly in China is worm-eaten and 
of little value. 
The Soja hispida, commonly known as the Soy bean, 
appears to be a food plant of some importance in China. 
Three varieties are known, a black, a white, and a yellow 
sort. This plant is much cultivated in tropical Asia for 
the purpose of making the well-known sauce called Soy, 
which is valued perhaps as much by Europeans as 
Asiatics for flavouring dishes. The Chinese, moreover, 
make a kind of bean curd in large quantities from the 
seeds. The beans are macerated in water, and then 
pounded together into a pulp, the liquid matter is filtered 
and some gypsum added, in order to coagulate it; when 
thus prepared, it is of a jelly-like consistence, and is 
much prized. In Manchuria large quantities of these 
beans are produced, and are employed chiefly for the 
expression of oil which is used both for cooking and for 
burning in lamps. The residue of the beans after pres¬ 
sure is formed into cakes, which are exported to Swatow 
for manuring the sugar plantations. 
Amongst,Chinese fruits, the most popular is the ju¬ 
jube ( Zizyphus , spp.). Several sorts are known ; the 
largest and best being called Chinese dates. The dry 
spring branches of some of these shrubs, and not those 
of Caragana spinosa, as has been described in many 
European works, are used, our author tells us, for pro¬ 
tecting the tops of the walls of prisons and other official 
buildings. 
These are a few illustrations of facts about Chinese 
plants which we do not remember having seen in Euro¬ 
pean works. 
The author gives a glance at what has been done by 
Europeans in the matter of Chinese drugs, and pays a 
well-merited tribute to Mr. D. Hanbury’s ‘Notes on 
Chinese Materia Medica,’ published in this Journal. 
Tho pamphlet is illustrated with eight plates,—Chines© 
•drawings of plants,—and was printed at Foochow. 
tompitaa. 
*** No notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Tub Council oe the Nobth British Branch or tub 
Pharmaceutical Society. 
Sir,—The letter of “ M. P. S.” in your publication of Sa¬ 
turday is so inaccurate, and so full of irrelevant matter, that 
it scarcely deserves either notice or reply. 
I would, however, suggest, in order that the correspondence 
which has now continued for so long regarding the origin and 
position of the Council of the North British Branch of the 
Pharmaceutical Society be brought to a close, or that at all 
events an undoubted and incontrovertible authority may be 
given for its existence,—the following course be adopted by all 
those interested in the matter, but especially the gentleman 
who still mysteriously shrouds his name and locality under 
the three capitals “ M. P. S.” 
The Journal is undoubtedly the official organ of the Society, 
but instead of going back a few volumes, I would respectfully" 
ask your readers to get Volume XII., and, turning to page 
530, read an account of the second anniversary of our branch 
in Edinburgh, held on 4dh April, 1853, and, with the same- 
book of reference before them, further ask a perusal of the 
Annual Report of the London Council (folio 573), held in 
Bloomsbury Square on the 18 th May, 1853. Our constitu¬ 
tion and recognition are so fully set forth in these pages, and 
emanating, as the remarks on the twelfth anniversary of the 
Society do, from the Council in London, I apprehend nothing 
more convincing will be required to set at rest the feeling of 
jealousy which has been recently manifested by a few of our 
members for reasons which appear to me to be as uncalled, 
for as they are unfounded. 
John Mack ay. 
jEdinburgh, Oct. 23rd, 1871. 
[*%* We have no desire to enter into the merits of this 
question, which appears to be more suited for consideration' 
by the Council of the Society; but in reference to the letters- 
which have appeared we must, in fairness, state that our cor¬ 
respondent “ M. JP. S.” was in error as to the time when the* 
title “ North British Branch” was first adopted, as will be seen 
by reference to the reports mentioned by Mr. Mackay. The- 
correspondence on this subject must now be closed, so far 
as this Journal is concerned.— Ed. Pharm. Journ.] 
Improved Tincture Press. 
Sir,—Will you kindly insert these few lines on a subject 
which appears just now to be attracting considerable atten¬ 
tion, viz. the screw tincture press ? 
In order to make my meaning dearer, I will begin by 
explaining in detail the principles on which the mechanical 
advantage of the screw-press rests. 
This implement is a compound of two simple machines,— 
the -wheel and axle and the screw; the first being a modifi¬ 
cation of the lever, and the second of the inclined plane. 
Usually only two spokes are substituted for the entire wheel, 
although Messrs. Hayward Tyler apd Co.’s new press is an 
example to. the contrary. 
The mechanical advantage (A) of this part of the press is 
the ratio borne by the radius of the wheel to the radius of the 
axle, or more correctly, by the length of the spoke or arm to 
tho radius of the screw. 
Let these be represented by B, r; 
then A = 
r 
and, multiplying each term of the fraction by 2 and by 3*1416, 
we get— 
where C, c represent the circumferences of the wheel and of 
the screw respectively, since twice the radius of any circle-, 
multiplied by 3*1416, gives the circumference. 
Also the mechanical advantage (B) of the screw is tho ratio 
of its circumference to the pitch or the distance between tho 
threads (P), that is— 
