182 
VARIETIES. 
the two insects present to the view such different characters, that it 
will be impossible to confound them involuntarily. — Journal de Pharm. 
Nov. 1850. 
Note on Yerba Mate or Paraguay Tea. By M. Lenoble, of Montevideo. — 
According to M. D'Orbigny, the Paraguay tea is derived from the Psoralea 
glandulosa, the leaves being slightly heated, and afterw r ards pulverized. — 
[Paraguay tea is usually ascribed to the Ilex Paraguayensis. — Ed Amer. 
Jour. Pharm.'] 
The Psoralea glandulosa is a tree as large as a medium sized apple-tree, 
its bark is whitish and shining, its flowers are poly-petalous, disposed in 
clusters, its seed have a violet-red color and resemble grains of pepper, 
whilst the leaf bears much resemblance to that of the orange. 
The infusion of yerber mate has much analogy with that of tea, and pos- 
sesses an aromatic odor, bitter astringent taste, and is stomachic and stimu- 
lant. 
M. Lenoble, by treatment with ether, alcohol and water, has obtained 
from these leaves, 1st, tannic acid; 2d, chlorophylle ; 3d, vegetable wax ; 4th, 
albumen; 5th, volatile oil; 6th, gummy extractive; 7th, a substance which 
crystallizes in fasciculated needles, to which he has given the name of 
psoralein. 
Psoralein is obtained by making an infusion by displacement with cold 
•water, heating it to ebullition, to coagulate the albumen and filtering. The 
clear infusion is then evaporated to dryness, the extract treated with dis- 
tilled water and the solution boiled with a little magnesia. The liquid, after 
having been filtered, was evaporated to the consistence of an extract, and 
treated with sulphuric ether, w T hich dissolved a bitter principle, and by eva- 
poration yielded a whitish substance crystallized in fasciculated needles, which 
was soluble in water, alcohol and ether, was not precipitated by sesquisul- 
phateof iron, and which yielded ammonia when decomposed ata high tem- 
perature. — Jour, de Pharm. Sept. 1850. 
Collodion applied to Burns, — Dr. Liman, of Berlin, states that he has found 
collodion a most excellent application to burns. He has applied it in many 
cases with the best results. He states that it allays the smarting, forms a 
protective covering, which excludes the action of the air, and is so exactly 
adapted to all parts, that no other dressing is required. The first applica- 
tion is attended with some pain, but is soon followed by alleviation of the 
suffering, and the cure proceeds steadily without pain. Dr. Liman applied 
the collodion with a camel-hair pencil, covering the entire surface, and daily 
re-applying it to the fissures and uncovered parts. Dr. Liman relates one case 
in which it was applied in an extensive burn with immediate advantage, 
and ultimately a speedy cure, without remaining contractions of the inte- 
guments. — Boston Med. and Sur. Journal, from Casper's Wochenschrift. 
