AmMa0yU,rx8P77arm'}    Note  on  a  PiPer  called  Jaborandi.  25 1 
obtuse.  In  the  axils  of  these  are  sometimes  found  catkins  of  male 
flowers.  The  figure  of  the  plant  is  from  a  sketch  drawn  by  Dr.  Jules 
Crevaux.  A  supply  of  the  plant,  collected  by  Dr.  DaVeiga,  of  the 
Brazilian  navy,  accompanied  the  sketch,  and  has  been  investigated 
chemically,  physiologically  and  therapeutically. 
According  to  Prof.  Gubler,  the  entire  plant  exhales  a  slightly- 
aromatic  odor,  which  becomes  more  pronounced  upon  bruising  the 
leaves  between  the  fingers.  When  chewed,  the  taste  is  at  first  slightly 
acid,  then  warm  and  aromatic,  and  finally  very  piquant  and  comparable 
to  that  of  pyrethrum  root.  This  taste  is  met  with  in  the  stems,  and 
especially  in  the  roots,  where  it  attains  a  high  degree  of  intensity,  chiefly 
in  the  moderately  large  portions,  about  the  size  of  a  crow  quill,  which 
are  externally  of  a  rather  decided  grey  color.  The  more  slender  and 
whitish  portions  are  rather  insipid,  and  the  finest  have  hardly  any  taste 
at  all.  These  differences  are  dependent  upon  the  constitution  and 
thickness  of  the  cortical  layer,  which  appears  to  be  the  seat  of  the 
active  principle. 
When  a  picked  fragment  of  the  root  is  chewed,  at  first  no  sensation 
is  produced  on  the  palate  ;  the  prickling  is  first  manifested  at  a  short 
interval  after  the  vegetable  tissue  becomes  impregnated  with  saliva.  It 
would  appear  that  the  active  principle  of  the  drug  does  not  exist  ready 
formed  in  the  plant,  but  is  due  to  a  special  fermentation  in  the  presence 
of  water,  similar  to  that  which  sets  free  oil  of  bitter  almonds  or  oil  of 
mustard.  When  once  manifested,  the  piquancy  rapidly  acquires  great 
energy,  being  accompanied  by  painful  shootings  and  vibratory  trem- 
blings of  the  tongue  and  lips,  as  though  these  organs  were  traversed  by 
an  electric  discharge.  At  the  same  time  a  very  active  secretion  of  all 
the  buccal  glands  becomes  developed,  and  especially  an  extraordinarily 
abundant  salivation.  These  phenomena  persist  for  a  few  moments 
after  the  sapid  pulp  has  been  rejected,  but  then  decrease  and  disappear, 
leaving  a  sensation  of  freshness  and  a  certain  degree  of  anaesthesia  of 
the  palate.  After  a  few  minutes,  however,  all  the  parts  return  to  their 
normal  state. 
Upon  swallowing  the  saliva  charged  with  the  active  principle,  an 
impression  of  heat  is  produced  at  the  back  of  the  throat,  which  extends 
to  the  oesophagus  and  stomach,  where  it  gives  rise  to  a  sensation  re- 
sembling hunger. 
The  chemical  composition  has  been  studied  by  M.  Hardy,  who,  in 
