Du Mez—The Galenical Oleoresins. 
971 
The table not only shows a variation in the crude filicin 
content due to season, but also points out the fact that there is 
a very considerable variation due to the locality 1 in which the 
rhizomes are grown. This factor, while evidently overlooked 
by the United States Pharmacopceial Revision Committee, ap¬ 
pears to be of considerable importance in influencing the qual¬ 
ity of the oleoresin. Further proof of this is to ibe found in 
the reports of Van Aubel, 2 Madsen, 3 Matzdorff, 3 and Caesar 
and Loretz. 4 
Further inspection of the pharmacopoeial definition shows 
that the official drug is intended to be represented by the whole 
rhizome - and stipe deprived only of the roots and dead portions, 
which is also in conformity with the description generally found 
in foreign pharmacopoeias. This is a wise provision in that the 
rhizomes not only contain less of the active constituents when 
peeled 5 but deteriorate much more rapidly. On the other hand, 
compliance with this specification would appear to be a difficult 
problem for.the pharmacist as practically all of the drug on the 
American market is peeled. The latter statement is based on 
the examination of a number of samples in the laboratory 6 and 
on the reports of pharmaceutical manufacturers 7 and others 8 . 
In the drying of the rhizomes, the United States Pharmaco¬ 
poeia specifies that the temperature shall not exceed 70°C. 
This temperature is thought to be too high, as filmaron, the 
most active constituent therapeutically, melts at 60 °C and is 
very prone to undergo decomposition. 9 The directions as given 
1 A variation due principally to soil and climate. 
2 Van Aubel (1896) states that the rhizomes growing in Wolmar on the 
shores of the Aa and those growing in the Jura and Vosges mountains yield 
an oleoresin which is more active therapeutically than that prepared from 
the rhizomes growing in Italy. 
3 Madsen (1897) and Matzdorff (1901) report the oleoresin prepared from 
Russian rhizomes to be the most active. 
4 Caesar and Loretz attribute the uniform activity of the oleoresin pre¬ 
pared by them to the fact that they obtain their supply of rhizomes from 
the same locality each year. 
5 See preceding table by Schmidt. 
® Of the sixteen samples of male fern rhizomes purchased from various 
sources in the United States and examined in the laboratory all but three 
were in the peeled condition. 
7 Letters received from a number of pharmaceutical manufacturers in this 
country indicate that the drug as usually received from Europe is peeled. 
8 Flaut (1914) states that though the 77. 8. Pharmacooepia requires the 
use of unpeeled aspidium, none such is to be found on the market. 
8 Kraft (1902). 
