ON  A  NEW  VARIETY  OF  FLAXSEED. 
493 
Mr.  Wyeth  remarks  that  two  grains  of  his  extract  from  acidulated 
water  produced  nausea  and  diaphoresis.  Mr.  Lewis  «  dissolved 
a  grain  and  a  half  in  a  fluid  ounce  and  a  half  of  water,  and  swal- 
lowed it  in  half  ounce  doses  at  intervals  of  a  few  minutes.  Great 
nausea  attended  with  emesis  ensued.  Its  unpleasant  effects  con- 
tinued the  remainder  of  the  day."  Mr.  Lemberger's  personal 
experience  was  precisely  similar,  namely,  that  in  doses  of  one 
grain,  repeated  at  intervals  of  fifteen  minutes,  the  extractive  acts 
as  a  nauseant  and  emetic. 
On  the  whole,  conclusive  testimony  is  furnished  by  the  fore- 
going analyses  of  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  Gillenia  trifoliata, 
and  of  the  facility  of  making  concentrated  and  active  prepara- 
tions from  it,  that  would  compare,  perhaps,  not  very  unfavorably, 
in  mildness  and  certainty  of  operation  with  those  from  the  South 
American  plant. 
The  researches  of  the  authors  of  these  theses  were  partly  de- 
signed to  prove  the  similarity  of  the  North  and  South  American 
ipecacuanhas.  But  it  cannot  reasonably  be  inferred  that  the 
same  principle  exists  in  both ;  since  the  respective  plants  are 
derived  from  two  entirely  distinct  natural  orders,  the  Rosacese 
and  the  Cinchonacese  of  Lindley.  A  failure  to  prove  identity, 
however,  is  no  cause  of  regret,  more  especially,  if  the  very  ex- 
periments instituted  for  that  purpose  afford  a  moral  certainty 
that  there  is  a  distinctive  principle  in  the  Gillenia  trifoliata. 
Three  of  our  experimenters  made  some  attempts  to  determine 
the  fact,  but  a  small  supply  of  the  root  prevented  its  accomplish- 
ment ;  and  it  is  left  to  some  future  operator  to  separate  from  the 
alcoholic  watery  extractive  above  described,  the  active  principle 
of  the  Gillenia  trifoliata.  R,  p.  T. 
ON  A  NEW  VARIETY  OF  FLAXSEED. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
During  a  recent  visit  to  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Edward  S.  Wayne 
showed  me,  in  the  cabinet  of  the  College  of  Pharmacy,  of  that 
city,  a  specimen  of  flaxseed,  differing  in  appearance  from  the 
common  brown  seed,  it  having  a  greenish  yellow  color  instead  of 
the  well  marked  deep  brown  of  the  ordinary  drug.  In  size,  shape, 
and  lustre  they  appear  to  be  quite  alike.    The  history  of  this 
