972 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters . 
in the Belgian Pharmacopoeia (1906), “dry at a temperature 
below 40°C,” or the Norwegian Pharmacopoeia (1914), “dry 
at a temperature not exceeding 60° C,” appear to be more 
rational. 
In connection with the pharmacopoeial provision concerning 
the preservation of the drug, attention is called to the fact that 
the late edition of the German Pharmacopoeia (1910) requires 
that the dried rhizomes be kept over freshly calcined lime. 
Such a procedure was shown by Hager, as early as 1871, to 
render the oleoresin prepared therefrom less liable to form a 
deposit. 
The fact that the United States Pharmacopoeia does not 
specify a time limit for the consumption of the drug is unfor¬ 
tunate in view of the rapidity with which it is known to de¬ 
teriorate. 1 So important is this factor, that the French Phar¬ 
macopoeia (1908) directs that only the recently collected and 
freshly dried rhizomes be employed and the other European 
pharmacopoeias commonly specify that they be renewed an¬ 
nually. That there is need of similar restrictions in this 
country will become evident from the following table showing 
the results obtained in the examination of fourteen samples 
of commercial rhizomes. Six of these samples were purchased 
from importers and drug millers in the United States during 
the winter and spring of 1909 and 1910, respectively. The other 
specimens were received in January of 1913 and represent 
samples obtained from abroad as well as in this country. In 
each case, the rhizomes were sorted, those shoAving a green frac¬ 
ture having been separated from those showing an internal 
brown color. 
1 Peschier as early as 1825 noted that the therapeutic activity of the 
rhizomes diminished on ageing and recommended that they should he con¬ 
sumed within a period of less than two years after harvesting. 
Caesar and Loretz state that they prepare the year’s supply of oleoresin 
immediately after harvesting and drying the rhizomes to insure the maxi¬ 
mum activity of the preparation. 
