548 
Current  Literature. 
|  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
November,  19 17. 
aconite"  {Aconitum  fisheri  Reich.),  have  been  substituted  in  some 
instances  for  the  official  aconite  {Aconitum  napellus  L.).  This  sub- 
stitute is  not  official  in  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  and,  as  far 
as  this  bureau  is  informed,  is  not  official  in  the  pharmacopoeia  of  any 
other  country.  These  substitutes  do  not  contain  aconitine,  but  other 
alkaloids,  Aconites  obtained  from  species  other  than  Aconitum  napel- 
lus should  be  labeled  so  as  to  indicate  the  geographical  source,  and, 
preferably,  also  the  botanical  source,  with  the  additional  statement, 
"  Xot  recognized  in  the  U.  S.  P.,"  and  should  not  be  used  in  any  of 
the  pharmaceutical  preparations  of  aconite  official  in  the  Pharma- 
copoeia. 
It  may  be  pointed  out  that  Japanese  aconite  usually  consists  of 
mother  (with  stem  bases)  and  daughter  tubers  (with  buds),  which 
may  be  distinguished  from  those  of  the  official  aconite,  Aconitum 
napellus,  by  their  much  smaller  size  and  weight,  less  wrinkled  and 
not  twisted  appearance,  more  or  less  short  conical  shape,  generally 
more  mealy  condition  due  to  starch,  and  microscopically  by  the  dif- 
ferent arrangement  of  the  fibro-vascular  bundles,  which  is  usually 
not  so  markedly  star  shaped.  {Service  and  Regulatory  Announce- 
ments, U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture.) 
Arnica  Flowers  Substitute. — Examination  of  samples  im- 
ported as  "  arnica  flowers  "  has  disclosed  that  Inula  britannica  L.  has 
been  substituted  in  some  instances  for  Arnica  montana  L.  This 
substitute  is  not  official  in  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  and,  so 
far  as  the  bureau  is  informed,  is  not  official  in  the  pharmacopoeia  of 
any  other  country.  Since  Arnica  montana  contains  active  principles 
which  are  not  found  in  Inula  britannica  L.,  the  latter  is  not  a  proper 
substitute  for  Arnica  montana.  The  department  will  recommend 
the  exclusion  from  the  United  States  of  importations  of  any  products 
offered  for  entry  as  "  arnica  flowers,"  but  found  to  consist  wholly 
or  in  part  of  flowers  of  Inula  britannica  L. 
The  striking  differences  between  the  authentic  product  and  the 
adulterant  are  that  in  the  adulterant  the  length  of  the  young  achene 
(undeveloped  fruit)  is  very  much  shorter,  about  I  millimeter  long, 
while  it  is  from  5  to  7  millimeters  in  the  genuine  product.  The  ligu- 
late  (ray J  flowers  are  also  considerably  smaller  in  length  and  width 
than  those  of  the  true  arnica  flowers.  The  veins  number  four  in  the 
ligulate  (ray)  flowers  of  Inula  britannica  L.,  while  10  have  been 
observed  in  those  of  arnica  and  7  to  12  are  reported  in  the  literature. 
