Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
June,  1882.  J 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica. 
303 
iodine,  doubtful  traces  of  bromine  and  small  quantities  of  combined 
phosphorus,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  see  in  any  of  these  elements  the 
cause  of  the  reconstituent  action  of  the  oil. 
That  the  active  principle  appears  to  reside  nearly  entirely  in  the 
peculiar  fatty  body  itself,  which  is  present  unaltered  in  virgin  oils. 
Finally,  that  these  modern  virgin  oils  constitute  a  product  essen- 
tially assimilable,  and  that  their  association  with  another  medicine  does 
not  injure  its  tolerance  or  therapeutic  action. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans. 
1882,  Jan.  25,  p.  604-606;  Repertoire,  Jan. 
Euphorbium  is  used,  according  to  "  Pharmacographia,"  as  an  ingre- 
dient in  the  preparation  of  a  durable  and  non-corroding  paint,  chiefly 
for  painting  ships'  bottoms  to  repel  marine  animals,  in  consequence  of 
its  acrid  nature.  John  R.  Jackson  states  that  for  this  purpose  euphor- 
bium has  of  late  years  been  largely  used  ;  the  supply,  however,  from 
Morocco,  has  been  limited,  and  the  company  manufacturing  the  paint 
was  at  one  time  compelled  to  obtain  its  supply  from  a  species  of 
Euphorbium  growing  in  Natal,  but  owing  to  carelessness  in  collecting 
this  source  had  to  be  abandoned.  From  a  correspondence  between  the 
British  Foreign  office  and  the  consuls  in  Morocco  it  is  learned  that 
the  plant  is  indigeaous  to  the  Southern  provinces,  at  the  foot  of  the 
lower  range  of  the  Atlas  mountains.  When  rain  has  been  plentiful 
at  the  commencement  of  the  season,  followed  by  successive  summer 
heat,  the  yield  is  large,  which  generally  happens  every  third  or  fourth 
year.  The  plant  is  about  three  feet  high,  grows  wild  over  a  large 
area  of  open  country,  and  the  gum  is  collected  in  early  autumn,  say 
July  to  September  or  October.  It  is  gathered  by  poor  people  and 
taken  to  the  city  of  Morocco,  whenever  it  is  known  there  is  any 
demand  for  it ;  from  thence  it  is  brought  to  the  ports  on  camels  at  a 
low  rate  of  transport.  Large  quantities  would  be  yearly  procurable, 
if  the  demand  was  regular  and  continuous. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans., 
March  4,  p.  723. 
Recognition  of  Black  and  Green  Hellebore. — Prof.  A.  Herlandt 
recommends  exhausting  the  bruised  rhizome  of  Helleborus  niger  or  H. 
viridis  with  boiling  water ;  the  filtered  decoction,  on  being  boiled  with 
one-third  its  volume  of  hydrochloric  acid,  becomes  rapidly  turbid  and 
acquires  a  violet  tint.  On  cooling  black  flocks  are  separated  which 
are  (collected  upon  a  filter  and  washed  with  ether  to  remove  fat  and 
resin,  when  the  pap(;r  will  be  of  a  deep  violet  color,  depending  upon 
the  production  of  helleboretin.    The  reaction  may  l)e  obtained  with 
