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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS 
[June 22, 1872. 
cJiebula, are imported, sometimes to the extent of 6000 
tons in the year. In 1870, 3000 tons, valued at £33,000, 
were imported. One species sometimes comes in under 
the name of Bedda-nuts. From its astringent properties, 
the dried fruit is much used by the Hindoos in their arts 
•and manufactures. The outer coat of the fruit, mixed 
with sulphate of iron, makes a very durable ink; hence 
they are called in the bazaars of India ink-nuts. 
The Belleric myrobalan (T. Belter ica , Roxh.) is also 
.astringent, and sometimes used in medicine in the East. 
The kernel of the nut mixed with honey is given in 
^certain cases of ophthalmia. It is said to intoxicate if 
eaten in great quantity. An oil expressed from the seed 
is used in India for strengthening the hair. The kernel 
of the nuts of another species (T. Catappa , L.) has the 
flavour ol an almond, and may he used for the same pur¬ 
poses. The oil is very like the almond oil of Europe, 
both in taste and smell, hut becomes turbid by keeping. 
Tt only requires care and attention in its preparation to 
Tender it of commercial value and importance. To extract 
the oil, the fruit is gathered and allowed to dry in the 
sun. for a few days, when the kernels are cleaned and 
bruised in a mill. 
Nutgalls, the spherical concretions and excrescences 
formed upon the leaves and leaf-stalks of several species 
of oak and other trees in the south of Europe, are made 
by the puncture of the female gallfly. There are blue, 
black, green, and white galls; the last are of little value. 
Those from Aleppo and Mosul are the best; they are 
about the size of a nutmeg, and mostly of a bluish or 
greyish colour, hard, heavy, compact, with numerous 
small tubercles on their surface. The imports in 1870 
were 17,748 cwt., of the value of £-54,169. 
Grey Bonduc nuts, sometimes called Nata in India, 
and in Barbados the horse-nicker or chick-stone, are the 
stony seeds of Guilandina Bonducella. They are intensely 
bitter, and have hence some medicinal reputation. They 
are used for playing a game in Western Africa. Orna¬ 
ments made of them are very common in museums, and 
I have seen baskets, bracelets, rosaries, and other articles 
made with them. 
The kola-nut of Western and Central Africa, the seed 
of Sterculia acuminata , have attracted some attention from 
their use in food and medicine by the natives; and after 
careful analysis, Dr. Attfield found they contained 2 per 
.cent, of theine, which is more than the average in tea 
.and coffee. 
The poison-nut, or ratsbane, the seed of Strychnos Kux- 
vomica , is contained in a pulpy fruit, about the size of an 
orange. As a medicinal agent these seeds possess valu¬ 
able qualities, but are highly poisonous, except in very 
minute doses. What is done with the 5000 or 6000 
owt. imported it is difficult to say. 
The seed of another species ( S . potatorum), the clearing- 
imt, has more useful properties, for they are employed 
in India to clear muddy water. One of the seeds is well 
rubbed round the inside of the earthen vessel containing 
the water, which is then left to settle ; in a short time 
the impurities fall to the bottom, leaving the water clear 
.and perfectly wholesome. 
The marking-nut, the fruit of Scmecarpus Anacardium , 
is in general use in India for marking cloths with the 
juice of the pulp ; the colour is improved and preserved 
from running by the mixture of a little quicklime and 
water. 
Under the name of soap-nuts, the round black seed of 
Sapindus Saponaria, S. cmarginatus , and some other species 
.are much used for rosaries, necklaces, bracelets, and 
other ornaments. They derive their name of soap berries 
from the acrid saponaceous pulp being used for washing 
linen. The kernels of S. esculcntus are eaten in the West 
Indies, and deemed as palatable as the hazel-nut or 
almond. 
Horse-chestnuts are much used on the Continent for 
making starch, and an oil is said to be obtained from 
them which is sold by some chemists as a sedative in gout. 
The drupe of the wild almond of the Cape ( Brabijium 
stellatifolium, R. Br.), after having been soaked for some 
days in water, is eaten by the natives, being considered 
injurious when quite fresh. The kernel roasted is used 
as coffee. 
Ravensara-nuts are the aromatic fruit of Agathophyllum 
aromaticum , used sometimes instead of nutmegs. 
Sassafras nuts, another aromatic seed, are the isolated 
lobes of the seeds of NectaAdra Puchury. 
Cumaru nuts of Brazil and Guiana are the seeds of 
Bipterix odorata , the tonquin bean of commerce, which 
yields a pleasant perfume for snuff, clothes, etc. A clear 
yellow fixed oil is obtained from them, which is used in 
perfumery and- for ulceration of the throat. 
I have thus taken a hasty survey of nuts and their 
products, necessarily, from the wide field I have had to 
cover, very superficial; but I think those who have fol¬ 
lowed me in my investigation will admit that it is an 
interesting subject of inquiry, and that the commercial 
uses of nuts and their products are of high importance in 
this and other countries. 
PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF PHARMACY. 
A pharmaceutical meeting was held on May 20th ; 
the President in the chair. On this occasion a presenta¬ 
tion was made by the chairman, on behalf of some mem¬ 
bers, to Mr. Samuel F. Troth, it being the fiftieth anni¬ 
versary of his election to membership. The gift consisted 
of a copy of the last edition of the United States’ Dispen¬ 
satory and of Dr. Thomas’s Biographical Dictionary, to¬ 
gether with a suitable inscription. 
Mr. Bullock exhibited the result of drying a film of 
gelatine on a sheet of glass ; in contracting, it was found 
to raise a film of the glass with it. Mr. Procter had 
noticed this in a test-tube with glue, though not on so 
extended a scale. 
Prof. Maisch presented to the college a number of 
specimens of cundurango, sent through Dr. Ruschenber- 
ger, U.S.N., by Dr. J. M. Foltz, Surgeon-General U.S. 
Navy, for the college cabinet. They were collected in 
the province of Loja, Ecuador, by Passed Assistant- 
Surgeon Joseph G. Ayres, of the Navy, by official direc¬ 
tion, and forwarded with a report to the bureau of medi¬ 
cine and surgery in the Navy Department; a description 
of the several specimens has been prepared and will 
probably be published. The specimens comprise pieces 
of stems, fruit, etc., of the following seven varieties:— 
Cundurango de tumbo grande, de tumbo chico (Bejuco 
Pachon), de Paloma, de Platano, do cascarilla, Saragosa 
and bianco. Prof. Procter raised the question whether 
cundurango was the same as guaco, which has been sold 
in European markets as cundurango, and whether any 
authentic case of cure from the use of this remedy is 
known. Prof. Maisch stated that he had never seen 
guaco sold as cundurango in our market, nor had he 
read of the cure of a case of cancer in any of the medical 
or pharmaceutical journals, and stated that none of the 
physicians whose names were mentioned in connection 
with its successful use when first introduced now claimed 
anything for it; some publicly declare they had nothing 
to do with the publication of their names as recommend¬ 
ing it. 
Mr. Remington spoke of an adulteration of iodine 
which recently came under his notice. Upon examina¬ 
tion this sample was found to contain about 25 per cent, 
of sawdust. Mr. R. stated that the adulteration was very 
easily detected by close examination, or by one accustomed 
to handling the article. It was suggested by members 
that the sawdust may have become mixed with fihe iodine 
through breakage, the iodine having been packed in it 
for transportation. The adulterant seems almost the 
last that would suggest itself, on account of its lightness. 
The result of further investigation will be interesting to 
the profession at large. 
