^"'nov^'iS?™*}      Aconitum  NapeUus  and  other  Species.  555 
stance  on  being  boiled  in  water,  and  which  is  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  paper.  The  name  given  to  it  at  Wahu  is  Yang  Kout'eng,  and  this 
possibly  may  be  the  name  of  the  creeper  used  here  for  the  adulteration 
of  camphor." 
Before  the  ruthless  axe  of  the  Chinese  woodcutter  the  beautiful 
inland  forests  still  adorned  by  the  graceful  Laurus  eamphora  are  fast 
disappearing.  The  aborigines  inhabiting  the  interior  fight  desperately 
for  the  possession  of  their  woods,  but  each  year  sees  a  fresh  tract  sur- 
rendered to  their  indomitable  enemies.  To  illustrate  the  difficulty 
attending  the  collection  of  the  prized  wood  it  may  be  mentioned,  on 
the  authority  of  the  above-named  gentleman  that  between  five  and  six 
hundred  Chinese  were  killed  two  years  ago  in  the  petty  warfare  which 
^tevailed  with  the  savages.  Sooner  or  later  there  must  be  a  dearth  of 
camphor.  With  their  customary  want  of  common  prudence  the  con- 
quering race  are  recklessly  clearing  the  ground  for  tea  cultivation,, 
burning  up  the  camphor  wood  in  tea-firing  operations,  for  which  pur- 
pose it  can  seeminingly  be  used  Mnth  great  safety,  despite  the  pungent 
fumes  given  forth. 
Very  little  of  the  camphor  manufactured  in  Formosa  is  consumed 
by  the  Celestials,  nearly  all  being  shipped  to  foreign  countries.  On 
the  other  hand,  they  continue  importing  for  their  own  use  the  more 
precious  natural  article  secreted  by  the  Dryobalanops  camphora  of 
Sumatra  and  Borneo.  For  these  concrete  masses,  commonly  known  as 
Camphor  Baroos,  fancy  prices  are  still  paid, — 31s.  a  pound  was  the 
import  price  at  Ningpo  last  year.  Of  this  fine  camphor,  it  may  be 
added,  but  a  small  quantity  finds  its  way  to  Europe;  the  relative 
cheapness  of  the  manufactured  article  driving  it  quite  out  of  our  mar- 
kets, although  it  is  well  known  the  native  manufacturers  in  Formosa 
place  no  special  reliance  on  their  own  product,  which,  they  say,  pos- 
sesses little  or  no  virtue — very  little  nowadays,  one  may  opine,  if 
adulteration  is  carried  on  to  the  extent  asserted. — Phar,  Jour,  and 
Trans.,  Sept.  16,  1882;  from  Med.  Press  and  Circular,  Aug.  2,  1882. 
REMARKS  ON  THE  ROOT  OF  ACONITUM  NAPELLUS 
AND  OTHER  SPECIES. 
By   E  .  M  .   Holmes,   'F.  L.  S. 
Bead  before  the  British  PharmaGeutiGol  Conference. 
Although  aconite  has  been  used  in  medicine  for  at  least  a  hundred 
years,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  medic^inal 
