452 
Mexican  Lign  Aloes. 
Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
Sept.,  1887. 
ruula  answering  to  that  of  a  hydrate  of  terebenthene  or  of  an  insomer. 
The  oil  slowly  absorbs  oxygen  and  becomes  resinified.  It  does  not 
combine  with  bisulphite  of  sodium.  The  red-brown  coloration  which 
it  takes  under  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  is  analogous  to  that  which 
turpentine  produces  with  the  same  acid.  The  odor  of  the  oil  is 
likened  by  M.  Poisson  to  a  mixture  of  lemon  and  jasmin.  The 
specimens  that  I  have  seen  have  more  resemblance  to  bergamot  in 
odor. 
It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  other  species  of  Bursera  yield  this  oil 
or  no.  M.  Poisson  suggests  that  it  is  probably  obtained  also  from 
Bursera  Aloexylon,  Engl.  (Elaphrium  Aloexylon,  Schiede). 
The  new  Mexican  Pharmacopoeia  (1884),  p.  75,  also  gives  Amyris 
linaloe,  La  Llave,  which  is  a  synonym  of  Bursera  Aloexylon,  Engl., 
as  the  source  of  the  oil. 
Sehlechtendal,  however,  in  '  Linnsea?  (1843),  xviii.,  p.  303,  remarks 
that  this  species  has  a  fennel -like  odor.  A  specimen  in  the  Kew 
Herbarium,  presented  by  Mr.  Piesse  as  the  Lignaloe  plant,  is  labelled 
"  Elaphrium  graveolens,  Kv"  from  the  West  coast  of  N,  Mexico. 
This  identification  is,  however,  according  to  Professor  Oliver,  some- 
what uncertain.  Several  other  species  of  Bursera  grow  in  the  same 
district,  as  B.  Delpecliiana,  including  B.  bicolor,  Engl.,  B.  Schiedeana, 
Engl.,  and  B.  jorullensis,  Engl.,  but  nothing  appears  to  be  known 
about  the  oil  of  these  trees.  Schlechtendal  mentions,  I.  c,  that  Elaph- 
rium glabrifolium  (= Bur  sera  penicillata,  Engl.)  has  a  strong  aromatic 
odor,  and  that  Amyris  ventricosa  (= Bursera  fagaroides,  Engl,  var.) 
has  an  odor  of  caraways.  The  Mexican  species  of  the  genus  appear 
to  be  very  numerous,  and  require  further  examination  as  to  their 
economic  products.  It  is,  however,  satisfactory  to  be  able  to  refer 
Mexican  oil  of  lign  aloes  with  certainty  to  one  species,  for  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  B.  Delpechiana  is  one  of  the  principal  sources  of 
it. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Aug.  13,  1887,  p.  132. 
44  Delirium  after  salicylate  of  sodium." — Schiffers  Progres  Med, 
records  a  case  in  which  an  enema  containing  75  grains  of  salicylate  of  sodium 
was  administered  to  a  girl  of  seven,  suffering  from  mitral  insufficiency.  Deli- 
rium supervened,  with  hallucinations  of  vision.  Speech  was  slow  and  difficult, 
answers  to  questions  being  indistinct  and  confused.  There  were  no  motor 
disturbances.  The  symptoms  disappeared  without  treatment  in  one  day. — 
Med.  Chronicle. 
