Am.  Jour.  Pharru. 
July,  1902. 
Cheap  Drugs. 
321 
Chief  among  the  Diptera  is  Trypeta  arnicivora,  which  is  found  in 
arnica  flowers. 
For  the  destruction  and  prevention  of  the  attacks  of  these  insects 
a  number  of  substances  and  methods  have  been  employed,  the 
simplest  method  of  all  being  to  expose  the  drug  to  a  temperature 
of  about  ioo°  C.  This  method  is,  however,  open  to  objection,  as 
there  is  liability  either  to  decomposition  or  loss  of  active  principle. 
A  weak  solution  of  carbolic  acid  has  also  been  suggested  but,  of 
course,  this  is  also  objectionable.  Camphor  and  tar-camphor  have 
been  employed,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  they  should  be  used,  unless  in 
the  case  of  animal  drugs.  In  some  instances,  as  with  nutmeg  and 
ginger,  the  drug  is  sprinkled  in  the  drying-room,  and  when  packed 
for  market,  with  quicklime.  Benzine  and  carbon  disulphide  have 
been  proposed,  but  these  are  of  a  disagreeable  odor  as  well  as  inflam- 
mable. Ether  has  been  suggested,  but  it  is  very  volatile  and  inflam- 
mable. The  use  of  formaldehyde  should  proceed  slowly  until  it  is 
certain  that  it  has  no  harmful  effects,  especially  when  used  in  the 
preservation  of  herbs  used  for  teas  for  children,  and  orris  root  which 
is  used  for  teething  infants.  The  use  of  chloroform  as  a  preserva- 
tive has  been  sanctioned  by  the  U.S. P.  in  the  case  of  ergot,  and  is 
probably  the  best  preservative  that  has  been  proposed. 
It  is  extremely  important  to  know  what  to  do  with  drugs  that 
have  become  worm-eaten.  Recently  it  has  been  suggested  to  kill 
the  larvae,  and  then  sift  them  out.  This  may  be  done  in  cases 
where  the  active  principle  is  unimpaired  and  is  to  be  extracted. 
Schimmel  &  Co.  have  shown  that  the  essential  oil  of  nutmeg  is 
apparently  not  altered,  even  though  obtained  from  worm-eaten 
seeds.  In  fact,  the  commercial  oil  is  largely  manufactured  from  the 
worm-eaten  seeds  obtained  in  Holland  by  garbling.  But  where  the 
drug  itself  is  to  be  used,  the  drug  so  affected  should  not  be  used. 
Who  can  determine  what  the  effect  on  an  open  sore  would  be  of  a 
poultice  of  flaxseed  containing  thousands  of  larvae  of  Tineae?  In 
the  light  of  modern  hygiene  we  should  be  as  scrupulous  in  our 
selection  and  care  of  flaxseed  and  mustard  as  we  are  of  drugs 
otherwise  used  in  prescriptions.  Even  in  the  giving  away  of  licorice 
root  to  children  we  should  be  careful  to  hand  out  only  good  solid 
pieces.  Recently,  Sawyer  has  stated  that  the  mite  found  in  vanilla 
bean  does  not  unfit  it  for  its  various  uses.  This  is,  however,  doubt- 
ful, particularly  where  it  is  to  be  used  directly  in  the  material  to  be 
flavored. 
