184 
EDITORIAL. 
from  22  to  30  c.  per  pound.  From  the  frequently  torn  and  rotten  con- 
dition of  the  bales  it  might  be  inferred  that  the  general  stock  was  old,  as 
well  as  otherwise  bad,  and  yet  this  article  must  have  been  largely  used 
within  the  past  year  for  tinctures. 
Camphor.  This  drug  has  been  very  high  and  somewhat  variable  in 
price,  but  of  uniform  quality  and  always  in  abundance.  Next  after  sul- 
phate of  quinia  and  opium,  this  article  is  probably  most  subject  to  specu- 
lative variations  in  price  and  demand,  whilst  from  its  nature  and  prop- 
erties as  a  concrete  volatile  oil,  it  is,  of  all  drugs,  perhaps  the  least  sus- 
ceptible to  variations  in  quality,  or  to  sophistication. 
Cardamom.  The  short,  heavy,  plump  capsule,  with  round,  full,  oily 
seed,  and  fine  aromatic  odor, — that  is  the  true,  unmixed  Malabar  carda- 
mom, was  only  rarely  to  be  found  during  the  past  year;  while  the  long 
shrivelled  capsule,  with  few,  light-colored,  flattened  spongy  seeds,  of  a 
dull,  somewhat  terebinthinate  odor  and  taste,  seemed  to  have  taken  pos- 
setsion  of  the  market,  and  at  prices  which  for  the  better  variety,  would 
have  hitherto  been  fabulous.  The  occasional  parcels  of  the  better 
variety  commanded  prices  such  as  S3. 00  and  3.50  per  pound,  whilst  the 
inferior  qualities  have  been  generally  quoted  at  $2.00  to  2.75. 
Cinchona.  True  Calisaya  Bark,  or  Yellow  Cinchona,  has  been  in  about 
the  usual  quantities,  at  prices  from  $1.65  to  1  85  per  pound,  and  always 
easily  accessible  to  the  few  who  seek  it.  Like  other  articles  of  small 
demand,  it  has  maintained  a  pretty  even  market,  chiefly  from  being  with- 
out the  pale  of  speculation,  and  because  its  inferior  representatives  of 
the  Cinchonas,  are  almost  universally  taken  by  pharmaceutists.  Soon 
after  the  East  Side  or  New  Granadian  barks  took  the  place  of  this,  in 
the  manufacture  of  Sulphate  of  Quinia,  they  also  appear  to  have  been 
generally  substituted  in  pharmacy,  so  that  instead  of  a  cinchona  contain- 
ing 2  to  3  per  cent,  of  alkaloids,  pharmaceutical  preparations  of  the 
present  day.  are  made  from  those  which  contain  the  half  of  one  per  cent., 
and  cost  from  15  to  70  c.  per  pound. 
Red  Bark,  or  Red  Cinchona,  is  still  less  used,  and  has  fewer  substi- 
tutes. It  is  always  to  be  had  of  excellent  quality,  at  prices  varying  from 
$1.55  to  1.70  per  pound. 
Colchicum  Root  and  Seed  have  been  unusually  scarce  and  high,  and 
the  root  rarely  of  good  quality.  The  ordinary  market  stock  of  the  root 
has  varied  little  in  price,  being  usually  sold  at  20  to  24  c.  But  the  more 
important  seed  has  always  been  very  high  and  variable  in  price,  rarely 
below  60,  and  sometimes  as  high  as  80  c.  for  fair  parcels.  The  large, 
round,  plump,  brown,  and  bitter  seed,  commonly  known  as  English  Col- 
chicum seed,  has  been  almost  entirely  absent  during  the  year,  and  the 
most  careful  buyers  have  generally  been  obliged  to  take  the  cleaner  and 
better  parcels  of  the  black  or  German  seed;  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
this  variety,  when  well  selected,  is  not  as  good  as  the  first  named. 
Ipecacuanha.  This  drug,  without  material  variation  in  quality,  has 
been  extremely  high  in  price,  and  often  very  scarce.  In  February  it  was 
sold  as  high  as  $3.50  per  pound,  and  has  at  no  time  fallen  below  $3.00. 
Some  lots  have  appeared  in  the  market  during  the  year,  that  were  dam- 
aged. In  some  cases  the  damaged  portions  are  found  throughout  the 
ceroon.  From  having  been  put  up  in  this  condition,  or  in  such  a  state  as 
to  assume  this  condition,  it  is  designated  in  the  market  as  "  country 
damaged."  Another  condition  also  occasionally  met  with,  wherein  the 
damaged  portions  are  upon  the  outside  only,  is  known  as  "  ship  damaged.'' 
When  the  damage  is  slight,  these  conditions  are  rarely  seen  or  recognized, 
except  to  obtain  indemnity  from  foreign  shippers  or  insurance  companies, 
or  to  cheapen  the  market  for  sharp,  close  buyers.    The  above  remarks 
