512 
GleamiKjs  in  M((i('n(i  Medica. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       Oct.,  1882. 
GLEANINGS  IN  MATERIA  MEDICA. 
By  the  Editor. 
Mahonia  aquifolia,  De  Cand.,  s.  Berberis  aquifolia,  Pursh. — For  de- 
scription and  use  of  this  and  allied  plants  and  analysis  of  Berberis  ner- 
vosa, consult  this  journal,  1878,  pages  373,  374,  414  and  589.  Dr.  J» 
Moeller  has  submitted  the  root  (stem  ?)  to  microscopical  examination 
Avith  the  following  results  : 
The  wood  shows  scarcely  an  indication  of  annual  layers.  The 
ducts  are  variable  in  size,  rarely  exceeding  O'l  mm.,  scattered,  fre- 
quently several  united  tangentially,  the  terminal  wall  perforated,  the 
lateral  wall  densely  dotted  and  occasionally  spirally  striate  ;  the  wood 
parenchyma  is  scanty. 
The  young  bark  has  no  sclerotic  cells ;  in  older  bark  the  paren- 
chyma becomes  thick-walled,  forming  layers  resembling  concentrically 
arranged  bast  layers;  but  bast  fibres  are 
entirely  absent,  and  the  parenchyma  is 
short,  rarely  forming  more  than  tliree 
r  layers.  The  primary  medullary  rays  are 
composed  of  10  or  15  rows  of  cells  and 
widen  gradually  to  a  layer  of  1  mm.,  or 
more.  Later  on  secondary  medullary  rays 
are  formed  singly  in  each  bark  ray  and 
attain,  centripetal ly,  considerable  width. 
The  inner  cell-groups  of  the  medullary  rays 
become  sclerotic  without  changing  size  or 
Mahonia  aquitblia,  trans-  ^^e  middle  bark  consists  of  thin- 
verse  section ;  r  barlv,  h  walled,  tangentially  elongated  parenchyma 
wood.  and  is  covered  by  delicately  flat-celled  cork. 
The  parenchyma  contains  a  golden  yellow  substance,  soluble  in 
water,  while  the  sclerotic  cells  of  the  wood  and  bark  retain  the  color. 
Berberine  nitrate  could  not  be  obtained  by  Bodeker's  microchemical 
reaction ;  only  traces  of  calcium  oxalate  are  present  and  crystals  are 
rarely  observed ;  but  sulphuric  acid  causes  the  separation  of  a  few 
needles  of  calcium  sulphate.  Starch  is  absent,  indicating  that  the  root 
is  collected  in  summer. — Phar.  Centralhalle,  1882,  p.  356  and  357. 
Veronim  salicifolia  and  V.  parviflora  are  known  in  New  Zealand  as 
"  koromiko  and  employed  as  a  remedy  for  diarrhoea.  The  drug  has 
been  used  by  Dr.  J.  Jardine,  of  Kiukiang  in  China,  who  reports  that 
cases  of  dysentery,  which  had  varied  in  duration  from  six  weeks  to  four 
