Am.  Jour.  Pharm  \ 
October,  1897.  J 
Powdered  Vegetable  Drugs. 
(i)  Suitable  methods  for  the  rapid  discrimination  and  study  of 
the  characteristic  tissues  and  contents  of  the  powder.  While  sec- 
tions of  the  fine  particles  can  be  made  (by  holding  the  particle  be- 
tween the  forefinger  and  thumb  and  drawing  the  razor  through  the 
specimen),  still  this  is  laborious  and  requires  considerable  practice, 
time  and  confidence.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  to  devise  means  and 
employ  reagents  which  shall  make  the  specimen  transparent  and  not 
destroy  either  the  tissues  or  contents  that  need  to  be  seen.  The 
most  satisfactory  reagent  for  general  purposes  in  the  hands  of  the 
writer  has  been  the  employment  of  the  following  solution : 
CHLORAL-GLYCERIN  SOLUTION. 
Glycerin  (C.      \  equal  parts. 
Distilled  water  J 
Chloral — sufficient  to  saturate  the  solution. 
A  few  drops  of  this  solution  are  placed  on  the  slide  and  from 
0-002  to  o  008  gramme  of  the  powder  added.  The  cover-glass  is 
put  on  the  specimen  and  the  preparation  is  heated  gently  over  either 
a  spirit  lamp,  gas  flame  or  oil  lamp  until  it  begins  to  boil.  This  is 
then  allowed  to  cool  and  examined.  If  not  sufficiently  transparent 
it  is  heated  again.  This  is  generally  not  necessary,  as  with  but  one 
heating  the  tissues  are  transparent  and  contents  may  be  examined. 
It  is  true  that  this  treatment  causes  a  slight  swelling  of  the  cell- 
wall,  and  is  not  applicable  in  testing  for  starch  ;  but  this  reagent 
has  the  advantages  of  clearing  the  specimen  and  preventing  it, 
without  further  treatment,  from  drying  out. 
When  examining  specimens  containing  starch  another  solution  is 
used,  as  follows  : 
CHLORAL-GLYCERIN  SOLUTION  -}-  IODINE. 
Chloral- glycerin,  solution — any  convenient  quantity. 
Iodine — a  sufficient  quantity  is  added  to  saturate  the  solution. 
This  solution  is  placed  on  the  slide  and  the  same  quantity  of 
powder  used  as  before,  but  heat  is  not  applied.  The  starch  grains, 
with  all  of  the  characteristic  markings,  will  be  brought  out  and  may 
be  studied. 
When  lignified  cells  are  sought,  the  powder  must  first  be 
moistened  with  a  drop  or  two  of  the  following  solution  of  anilin 
hydrochloride,  and  then  after  a  few  minutes  a  few  drops  of  the 
chloral-glycerin  solution  may  be  added  : 
