GLEANINGS  FROM  AMERICAN  JOURNALS.  31 
• 
Triturate  the  quinia  and  acid,  then  add  the  water,  which  will 
form  a  mass,  to  he  divided  as  desired.  If  the  acid  is  dry,  the 
proportion  of  water  is  correct ;  if  moist,  it  is  too  much.  The 
advantages  proposed  by  Dr.  Atkinson  are,  first,  tenacity  of  the 
mass  easily  worked ;  second,  it  does  not  readily  lose  its  pillular 
consistence,  like  that  made  with  elixir  of  vitriol,  and  may  be 
manipulated  without  haste.  Third,  its  bulk  is  not  greater  than 
by  Parrish's  formula,  and  lastly,  rto  specific  skill  is  needed  in 
its  preparation.  For  another  quinia  pill  mass,  see  Mr.  Creecy's 
formula,  at  page  7  of  this  number. 
ITaofash,  a  new  styptic.  The  Paris  Moniteur  gives  an  account 
of  a  tree  called  "  haofash,"  which  grows  wild  in  the  mountains 
of  Baria,  in  Cochin  China,  in  the  forests,  hidden  among  lianas 
and  other  creepers,  which  render  the  woods  almost  impenetrable. 
The  knowledge  of  its  virtues  is  confined  to  the  bonzes  and 
physicians  who  keep  it  secret.  M.  M.  Condamine  and  Blanch- 
ard,  two  French  travellers,  have  succeeded,  partially  by  gold, 
in  eliciting  the  information  from  a  bonze,  and  give  the  following 
account :  "  The  Annanites,  who  gain  their  livelihood  by  selling 
the  bark  of  the  haofash  to  professional  men,  wait  till  the  tree 
has  attained  its  third  year  before  stripping  it  of  its  bark,  its 
usual  height  at  that  age  being  about  24  feet,  with  a  circumference 
of  about  18  inches.  The  operation  is  performed  in  June,  when 
the  tree  has  neither  blossoms  nor  fruit ;  it  is  hewn  down  and 
then  denuded  of  its  bark  methodically,  in  slices  about  two  feet 
long  and  three  or  four  inches  broad.  These  strips  are  made 
into  bundles  weighing  from  30  to  40  pounds." 
The  bark  has  an  ash-grey  color,  externally,  and  brown  within  ; 
has  a  strong  aromatic  bitter  taste,  and  when  chewed  reddens  the 
saliva.  It  is  a  powerful  styptic,  and  is  used  in  cholic,  diarrhoea 
and  dysentery.  It  is  prepared  for  use  by  decocting  from  90 
grains  to  150  grains  in  3  fluidounces  of  water,  reduced  to  one- 
fifth  by  evaporation,  for  a  dose. — Neiv  York  Med,  Record^ 
Nov.  2. 
Iodine  and  iron  alum  water.    The  following  analysis  of  a 
•  recently  discovered  spring  in  Virginia  is  published  in  the  Medical 
and  Surgical  Reporter  of  Dec.  5,  1868,  signed  by  Prof.  William 
