GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS  229 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
On  the  vermifuge  properties  of  Ailanthus  glandulosa,  of  China. 
— This  tree,  so  well  known  in  the  United  States  as  a  shade  tree, 
and  recently  so  much  decried,  owing  to  the  strong  peculiar  odor 
of  its  flowers,  is  the  subject  of  a  notice  in  the  Journal  de  Phar- 
macie  for  March,  by  Prof.  Hetet  of  the  Ecole  de  Medicine  of 
Toulon.  This  tree,  which  belongs  to  the  natural  family  Xan- 
thoxyleae  and  allied  to  the  genus  Rhus,  is  also  identical  or 
closely  related  to  the  Japanese  Varnish  tree,  and  within  a  few 
months  has  acquired  more  importance  in  view  of  its  leaves  being 
used  as  food  for  a  species  of  sjlk  worm,  Bombyx  cynthia,  which 
has  recently  been  introduced  into  France. 
If  a  piece  of  the  bark  of  Ailanthus  is  chewed,  it  gives  a  de- 
cided bitter  taste,  and  soon  after  a  general  unpleasant  feeling,  ac- 
companied by  nausea  and  prostration,  similar  to  that  derived 
from  tobacco  by  novices,  or  from  henbane.  These  physiological 
effects  seem  to  have  given  rise  to  the  term  caco  dendron  (Ehrh.) 
formerly  given  to  the  tree. 
These  qualities  induced  the  author  to  enter  on  an  investigation 
of  its  effects  on  animals,  and  to  analyze  it,  but  he  afterwards  as- 
certained that  M.  Payen  Annals  de  Chimie  t.  xxvi.  p.  239,  had 
already  given  an  analysis — in  which  it  appears  to  contain  lig- 
nin,  chlorophylle,  yellow  coloring  matter,  pectin,  bitter  sub- 
stance, aroma  tic  resin,  traces  of  volatile  oil,  nitrogenous  matter, 
and  some  salts. 
The  powdered  bark  has  a  greenish  yellow  color,  and  when  re- 
cent has  a  strong  virous  odor  and  very  bitter  taste.  The  color- 
ing matter  is  not  valuable  as  a  dye.  The  pectin  is  very  abundant. 
By  treatment  with  alcohol,  the  resin,  volatile  oil  and  bitter  prin- 
ciples are  dissolved,  and  on  evaporation  a  soft,  oleo  resinous  ex- 
tract, strongly  odorous,  is  obtained. 
M.  Hetet  has  experimented  therapeutically  and  physiologically 
with  the  powder,  aqueous  alcoholic  extracts,  and  oleo  resin  on 
dogs.  All  have  proved  successful,  that  is  to  say,  in  all  cases 
they  have  produced  abundant  stools,  with  the  expulsion  of 
taenia. 
