340 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharro,^ 
July,  1881. 
cells,  smaller  scalariform  and  larger  spiral  vessels  and  of  numerous- 
bast  like  fibres,  and  is  accompanied  by  fibre-like  series  of  cells,  appar- 
ently containing  silica. — Zeitsch.  Oest.  Apoth.  Ver. ;  Phar.  Jour,  and 
Trans.,  May  7,  p.  913. 
Stigmata  Maydis. — By  treatment  with  hot  water,  H.  Vassal  obtained 
from  the  stigmas  of  maize,  a  reddish-brown  extract,  which  in  odor 
and  taste  resembled  extract  of  ergot,  except  that  it  was  rather  more- 
bitter.  It  is  free  from  gummy  and  albuminous  compounds,  yields  in 
aqueous  solution  a  black  precipitate  with  ferric  chloride,  and  does  not 
contain  an  alkaloid.  Alcohol  of  63  per  cent,  dissolves  most  of  the 
extract,  and  the  solution  on  evaporation  yields  a  granular  residue^ 
having  an  animal  odor,  a  bitter  taste  and  an  appearance  resembling 
ergotin ;  on  incineration  it  leaves  considerable  ash,  containing  a  large 
amount  of  sodium  carbonate.  The  extract  is  insoluble  in  ether  and 
Sj^irit  of  ether. 
The  alcoholic  tincture  of  maize  stigmas,  on  evaporation,  yields  a 
turbid  liquid  from  which  ether  separates  a  yellowish,  tasteless,  saponi- 
fiable,  oily  matter ;  the  aqueous  liquid,  on  evaporation,  yields  a  red- 
dish-brown extract  of  the  same  characters  as  the.  first  product. 
Ether  dissolves  from  the  stigmas  only  a  fatty  matter  having  no- 
characteristic  odor  and  taste. 
It  follows  from  the  above  that,  for  pharmaceutical  purposes,  maize 
stigmas  are  best  exhausted  with  water. — Jour.  Phar.  d^A^ivers.,  May 
15,  pp.  153-155. 
The  Wax  Palm,  Copernicia  cerifera,  known  also  as  Carnauba  palm,, 
is  very  abundant  in  Pernambuco.  The  wood  is  used  for  roofing,  both 
as  beams  or  rafters  and  as  laths  upon  which  to  support  the  tiles  ;  the 
fruits  are  used  for  feeding  cattle  and  the  leaves  for  making  hats  and 
mats.  A  valuable  medicine  is  obtained  from  the  roots.  From  the 
shoots  and  leaves  a  wax  is  obtained ;  for  this  purpose  they  are  cut 
before  they  unfold,  dried  in  the  sun,  powdered  and  boiled,  the  wax 
rising  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  exportation!  of  Carnauba 
wax  amounted  in 
1875-  76  to  18,668  kilos,  valued  at  £  758. 
1876-  77  to  171,980    "  "       "  6,957. 
1877-  78  to  89,482    "  "       "  3,168. 
1878-  79  to     1,542    "  "       "  61. 
The  decrease  during  the  last  year  was  due  to  the  famine  and  drought 
which  so  severely  crippled  all  industry  in  the  province.    The  seeds 
