80 
NOTE  ON  CASSIA  MOSCHATA. 
probably  be  followed  by  a  much  larger  produce  than  is  at  pres- 
ent obtained.- — Qhem.  News,  Lond.,  Oet.lQ,  1863. 
NOTE  ON  CASSrA  MOSCHATA,  H.  B.  K. 
By  Daniel  Hanbury,  Esq.,  F.  L.  S.* 
Read  June  18th,  1863. 
The  genus  Cassia,  as  constituted  by  Linnaeus,  furnishes  to 
medicine,  as  is  well  known,  two  drugs  of  some  importance,  namely 
Senna  leaves  and  the  pods  called  Cassia  fistula,  in  connexion 
with  the  second  of  which  I  beg  leave  to  submit  to  the  Linnean 
Society  the  following  observations. 
Although  the  name  Cassia  fistula,  which  is  the  common  com- 
mercial designation  of  the  drug,  is  properly  applied  to  the  ripe 
legumes  of  Cassia  Fistula,  L.,  only,  it  sometimes  designates 
those  of  C,  brasiliana,  Lam.,  and,  as  I  shall  presently  show, 
those  also  of  a  third  species  of  Cassia.    The  legumes  of  the  first- 
named,  which,  on  account  of  the  laxative  saccharine  pulp  con- 
tained between  their  transverse  septa,  find  a  place  in  many  of 
the  pharmacopoeias  of  Europe,  are  familiar  to  most  botanists  ; 
they  are  straight  or  slightly  curved,  cylindrical,  smooth,  inde- 
hiscent  woody  legumes,  lj  to  2  feet  long  by  f  to  1  inch  in 
diameter,  and  of  a  deep  chocolate  color.    The  legumes  of  (7. 
brasiliana,  which  are  seen  in  commerce  but  rarely,  differ  from 
those  of  C.  fistula  in  being  compressed  and  thicker,  and  in 
having  two  prominent  ridges  marking  their  ventral  suture  and 
one  similar  ridge  their  dorsal ;  from  each  suture  ramify  promin- 
ent nerves,  giving  a  rough  surface  to  the  legume,  which  is  in- 
creased by  a  cracking  and  exfoliation  of  the  epidermis.  The 
third  form  of  the  drug  was  distinguished  several  years  ago  by 
Professor  Guibourt,of  Paris,  who  described  it  under  the  name  of 
Petite  Casse  de  V  Amerique,  observing  that  it  differs  from  or- 
dinary Cassia  fistula  in  being  of  smaller  size,  in  containing  a 
pulp  of  pale  color  and  austere,  astringent,  yet  saccharine 
taste,  in  the  seeds  being  separated  by  thinner  septa,  and  in  the 
extremities  of  the  legumes  being  apiculate  instead  of  rounded. 
M.  Guibourt  regarded  these  pods  as  derived  from  a  variety  of 
*  [Communicated  by  the  author. — Ed.  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.]. 
