796 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March SO, 1872. 
“ goose-skin,” which appears only when the surface is 
cleaned hy brushing. Captain Grant’s statement, that 
“ the true copal-gum is a climber which ascends to a 
great height among the forest-trees, and finally becomes 
completely detached from the original root, when the 
copal exudes from the extremities of these detached 
roots,” must refer to some entirely different plant. The 
bitumenized and semi-mineral gum is dug out of the 
loose sand. A pit is sunk about 3 feet deep, the earth 
becomes gradually redder, crimson fibrous matter ap¬ 
pears, and presently the ground appears to be half sand, 
half comminuted copal. The copal of commerce is pro¬ 
duced along the whole coast for a distance of probably 
800 miles, and at varying distances into the interior. 
Captain Burton found it impossible, however, to trace 
the position and circumstances of the extinct forests of 
■which copal constitutes the principal remains; as such 
an investigation would have entailed at least two months’ 
voyaging along and dwelling upon the fever-haunted 
sea-board. The value of the trade, which might be 
very great, is kept down by the indolence of the natives, 
and by injurious monopolies. 
At the end ot the second volume are several useful 
Appendices, containing notes of t'hermometric and me¬ 
teorological observations, and an epitome of the com¬ 
merce of Zanzibar between the years 1857 and 1859. 
The staple productions of the island are stated to be 
cocoa-nuts and cloves; while the coast of the mainland 
produces slaves, copal, ivory of the finest description, 
hides, curries, rafters, red pepper, ambergris, beeswax, 
hippopotamus’ teeth and rhinoceros’ horn. In 1859, the 
reports of H. B. M.’s consul (probably much under¬ 
stated), give the value of the export of ivory at £146,666, 
of copal at £37,166, and of cloves at £55,666. The ex¬ 
ports are chiefly to the Continent of Europe (there is 
none direct to Great Britain), the United States, Hin- 
dostan and Arabia ; while the imports consist mainly of 
English, American and Indian cottons, arms and gun¬ 
powder, china and iron-ware, and bullion. There is also 
a large and curious trade in Venetian beads, which is 
very variable, each district having also its peculiar 
favourite variety, and refusing to take any of the 400 
kinds except those which may happen to be in fashion. 
I he book is furnished with a good map, illustrating 
oiir present knowledge of the country as far as the great 
Victoria N yanza, and with a few woodcuts, which we 
cannot describe as a great embellishment to it. 
LOUIS-RENE LE CANU. 
The following particulars of the biography of the late 
Dr. Le Canu are taken from the funeral oration pro¬ 
nounced by his friend and pupil, Professor Chatin, De¬ 
cember 22nd, 1871. 
Louis-Rene le Canu, Professor at the School of Phar¬ 
macy, Member of the Council of Public Hygiene for the 
Department of the Seine, Member of the Academv of 
Medicine, Officer of the Legion of Honour, of Public 
Instruction of the Order of Charles III. of Spain and 
of A illaviciosa of Portugal, Commander of the Order of 
Santa-Rosa of Honduras, etc., was born at Paris the 
18th of November, 1800. His father was Jacques Louis 
Toussaint le Canu, of Periers, formerly chief pharmacien 
of the Salpetriere and of the general hospitals of Paris, 
who sent him to pursue his studies at the Lycee Charle¬ 
magne, where the young scholar had for his friends and 
rivals M. Baroche, who afterwards held an important 
position under the second empire, and M. Littre. 
On leaving the college, where he had been extremely 
successful, he. entered the laboratory of M. Thenard. 
Here his quick intelligence, his industry, and the 
charming qualities of his character won for him the 
honourable post of superintending the chemical opera¬ 
tions and the lasting friendship of M. Thenard. The- 
admiration and love which his somewhat austere master 
had for him was shown some years after, when, upon an 
occasion of dining with some friends, M. Thenard said, 
“ Le Canu, I have always loved thee well; but thorn 
lcnowest I would have renounced thee hadst thou deviated 
ever so little from the right path.” 
The valuable investigations which Lo Canu carried 
on in the laboratory of the College of France, sometimes 
alono, frequently with his friend Bussy and now and 
then with Serbat, attracted to him the attention of 
chemists, and gained for him, while still young, ap¬ 
pointments that are not generally attained until a 
riper age, such as his professorial chair at the Ecole 
de Pharmacie, and his membership of the Academie de- 
Medecine and of the Conseil de Salubrite. Of this 
latter body he was one of the oldest members, and in con¬ 
nection with it he made many very valuable reports. 
As a professor, Le Canu was very successful. His- 
diction, which, while pure and flowing, was also ani¬ 
mated and picturesque; his face expressive, intelligent 
and sympathetic; his manner engaging and keeping his- 
auditory always on the alert; the well-known qualities 
of his heart,—all combined to secure a good attendance- 
at his classes, and to make him very popular with his- 
pupils. But while yet in full prosperity, in apparent 
health and with his intellectual faculties undimmed, ho- 
announced, to the surprise and profound chagrin of his. 
colleagues, his intention to resign. He seems to have 
wished to retire from his work before his auditors were 
tempted to leave him, and ere his professorial reputation, 
became dimmed through waning powers. He retired 
into country life and devoted himself to agricultural re- 
seai’ches; amongst other subjects ho made known a new 
process for the fermentation of wine. 
The scientific labours of Le Canu were very numerous- 
Besides his important researches on urine, he followed 
up the study of the fats in which Chevreul had made so 
great a reputation, and in conjunction with Bussy, made 
several important and useful discoveries. These, how¬ 
ever, were but the prelude to his great work on the 
blood, in which he no longer travelled a beaten road, but 
by the extent and plan of the researches he initiated, no- 
less than by the results he obtained, raised a lasting- 
monument to his memory. 
The ‘Cours Complet de Pharmacie’ followed these- 
original labours of Le Canu. Well conceived, and still 
better written, this work shared the popularity of Sou- 
beiran’s ‘ Traite de Pharmacie,’ and was translated into 
several languages. It was notably received -with favour- 
in Spain, and is still, after the lapse of a quarter of a 
century, the guide of pharmaceutical and medical stu¬ 
dents in that country. He also published a small volume- 
entitled ‘ Lemons de Geologie.’ 
AVhilo still young, Le Canu married a daughter of 
M. Labarraqiie, a distinguished pharmacien and the 
author of several well-known researches. ‘ With this 
lady, by whom he had two daughters, he lived in great 
happiness at Liccrasse in the Basse-Pyrenees, until the 
occurrence of the calamities which have recently over¬ 
taken France. Shortly after Madame le Canu died, and. 
in the hope of mitigating the loss by change of scene, 
M. le Canu accepted an invitation of a former pupil r 
Professor Ramon Munoz de Luna, to visit Madrid- 
Here he -was presented to Marshal Serrano and other 
dignitaries of the country, from whom he received the 
most flattering courtesies. The faculties of science, 
medicine, and pharmacy also, each voted addresses of 
welcome, which were presented by a joint deputation of" 
twelve of their most eminent members. But a more- 
striking welcome awaited him, upon the occasion of his 
attending one of Professor Munoz de Luna’s lectures at 
the University of Madrid. The great amphitheatre was 
filled by a body of about fifteen hundred students, and 
scarcely had Le Canu taken his seat when the roof shook 
with three tremendous vivats , which were renewed with 
