316  Cheap  Drugs.  { Am  jJul^i9Po2.arm- 
fennel.  Hedeoma,  that  is  grown  during  a  moderately  dry  season, 
produces  a  larger  quantity  of  oil  than  when  grown  in  a  rainy  season. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  dry  season  is  very  unfavorable  to  the  growth 
of  certain  drug-yielding  plants  as  chamomile,  causing  a  serious  fall- 
ing off  in  supply  and  a  double  increase  in  price. 
It  is  well  known  that  in  the  propagation  of  plants  there  is  a  dif- 
ference in  some  instances  in  those  produced  from  cuttings  and  those 
from  seedlings.  It  is  said  that  when  rhubarb  was  first  cultivated  in 
England,  seedling  cultivation  was  employed,  and  the  result  was  a 
rhubarb  of  inferior  quality,  which  was  greatly  improved  by  propa- 
gation from  offsets. 
While  we  may  not  be  able  to  make  extended  generalizations,  it 
must  be  apparent,  from  the  facts  here  presented,  that  the  subject  of 
the  proper  collection  of  vegetable  drugs  is  of  prime  importance,  and 
is  deserving  of  the  careful  consideration  of  us  all. 
(2)  Carelessness  in  drying  and  caring  for  drugs  after  they  are 
gathered  is  a  more  frequent  cause  of  inferiority  than  is  commonly 
supposed.  Quercus  alba,  when  properly  dried,  has  a  refreshing  odor 
and  is  very  astringent.  Kino  is  much  altered  if  the  juice  is  boiled 
prior  to  drying.  Of  course,  where  drugs  are  exposed  to  the  weather 
for  their  preparation  for  the  market  the  conditions  are  more  difficult 
to  control,  but  even  here  good  judgement  and  care  will  save  the 
material.  In  the  distillation  of  lavender  flowers,  dry  weather  is 
selected  for  the  work,  as  otherwise  the  spikes  are  less  fragrant. 
Preparations  made  from  the  fresh  or  green  drug  are  considered 
more  valuable  in  some  cases  than  those  made  from  the  dry  drug, 
and  command  twice  the  price  of  the  latter.  It  is  probable,  that 
there  is  something  in  the  supposition  that  the  active  principles  are 
in  a  combination  in  nature  more  efficient  than  when  otherwise  com- 
bined or  extracted.  Unfortunately,  experiments  made  to  determine 
the  relative  value  of  the  preparations  of  the  dry  and  green  drug 
have  not  been  made  upon  specimens  otherwise  identical.  One  can- 
not take  a  fresh  drug  and  compare  its  value  with  a  commercial 
article,  as  the  latter  may  vary  considerably. 
In  some  cases  the  Pharmacopoeia  specifies  that  the  drug  shall  be 
kept  a  certain  length  of  time  before  being  used,  as  in  the  case  of 
frangula.  A  similar  specification  should  be  made  in  regard  to 
Rhamnus  purshiana,  but  since  the  result  of  the  changes  on  keeping 
are  now  ascertained,  and  since  a  similar  effect  may  be  obtained  by 
