Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1878. 
Mate,  or  Paraguay  Tea. 
275 
The  following  is  a  description  of  the  samples  and  their  history  so 
far  as  it  was  possible  to  ascertain  it  : 
No.  1.  Exhibited  by  M.  Vera;  packed  in  bag  made  of  wolf  skin, 
weight  about  4  kilos,  color  bright  greenish-yellow,  odor  not  as  aromatic 
as  some  of  the  other  samples,  almost  entirely  free  of  twigs,  and  appears 
to  have  been  prepared  from  very  young  leaves  dried  with  little  if  any 
artificial  heat. 
No.  2.  Exhibited  by  T.  B.  Appleyard  ;  size  of  package  and  general 
appearance  and  character  of  this  sample  very  much  like  No.  1. 
No.  3.  Exhibited  by  I.  Arrillaga  ;  weight  about  8  kilos,  packed  in 
the  entire  skin  of  a  tapir  ;  this  mate  was  rather  coarse,  containing  many 
twigs,  some  of  which  were  charred  slightly  ;  color  a  dull  brownish- 
green,  odor  very  aromatic  and  balsamic.  This  sample  is  believed  to 
have  been  prepared  by  the  Guarani  Indians  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
Missions. 
No.  4.  Exhibited  by  the  Provincial  Commission  ;  weight  15  kilos, 
packed  in  the  entire  skin  of  a  tapir,  general  appearance  and  character 
of  this  sample  like  No.  3. 
No.  5.  Exhibited  by  the  Provincial  Commission  ;  weight  10  kilos, 
packed  in  the  entire  skin  of  an  animal.  This  sample  was  very  unevenly 
powdered,  and  much  of  it  quite  coarse  ;  it  also  contained  a  large  pro- 
portion of  twigs  somewhat  charred,  and  much  sand  ;  in  color  it  resem- 
bled No.  4  ;  the  odor  was  also  similar  to  that  sample,  but  much  weaker  ; 
its  general  appearance  indicated  the  most  primitive  mode  of  prepara- 
tion.   This  sample  was  from  the  department  of  Itaty  on  the  Parana. 
No.  6.  Exhibited  by  the  Provincial  Commission  ;  packed  in  small 
skin  bag,  weighing  3  kilos.  This  mate  was  coarsely  powdered,  very 
dark  in  color,  odor  quite  aromatic  and  balsamic,  and  contained  many 
fruits  and  twigs.    It  was  also  from  Itatv. 
No.  7.  Exhibited  by  the  Provincial  Commission  ;  packed  in  skin 
bag,  weighing  65  kilos.  This  mate  was  finely  powdered,  of  a  bright 
color,  aromatic  odor,  and  contained  only  a  small  proportion  of  twigs. 
This  sample  was  from  the  northern  part  of  the  territory  of  the  Mis- 
sions, which  furnishes  the  most  celebrated  mate.  This  territory  is 
formed  by  that  part  of  the  extinct  empire  of  the  Jesuits,  which  was 
inherited  by  the  Argentine  Republic.  Among  the  forest  trees  which 
grow  admirably  in  the  Missions  that  which  produces  the  Yerba  Mate' 
merits  a  special  mention.     Near  the  river  Uruguay  it  forms  extensive 
