366 
Materia  Medica  Notes. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.. 
\     Aug.  1,  1872. 
small  proportion  of  alcohol,  forming  a  mixture  which  in  every  respect 
conforms  with  the  true  characteristics  of  ammonia  liniment.  There- 
fore, if  in  the  preparation  of  this  liniment  a  magma  results  that  cannot 
be  poured  from  a  bottle,  add  to  the  jelly  a  quantity  of  strong  alcohol 
equal  to  one-sixteenth  of  the  whole  volume. — The  Pharmacist,  June, 
1872. 
MATERIA  MEDICA  NOTES. 
By  James  Collins,  F.B.S.E., 
Curator  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society's  Museum. 
Gum  Euphorbium. — Dr.  E.  Cosson,  in  an  interesting  note  on  Eu- 
phorbia resinifera,  Berg,  read  before  the  Royal  Botanical  Society  of 
Belgium,  verifies  the  statement  of  Berg,  that  the  Gum  Euphorbium 
of  commerce  belongs  to  the  species  to  which  Berg  gave  the  name  of 
E.  resinifera.  Dr.  Cosson  found  in  Yon  Martius'  collection  at  Brus- 
sels, a  specimen  of  Gum  Euphorbium  with  sufficient  of  the  dried  stems 
of  the  plant  producing  it  to  give  a  good  idea  of  the  plant.  Probably 
Yon  Martius  received  these  specimens  from  his  brother,  Dr.  0.  W.  T. 
Martius. 
The  history  of  this  acrid  gum  is  very  interesting.  E.  canariensis, 
L.,  E.  officinarurn,  L.,  E.  antiquorum,  L.,  and  E.  tetragona,  Haw., 
have  each  been  accredited  with  its  production  ;  but  Dr.  Pereira,  who 
examined  the  question  with  his  usual  critical  ability,  stated  that  only 
E.  canariensis,  fulfilled  all  the  requisite  conditions  of  locality,  etc. ; 
and  that  he  felt  little  hesitation  in  ascribing  the  gum  to  this  plant. 
He  says  (Elements  Mat.  Med.  vol.  ii,  pt.  1,  p.  399,  1855)  that  the 
specific  characters  "  apply  to  the  branches  found  mixed  with  the  Eu- 
phorbium of  commerce.  They  agree  with  the  description  and  figure 
of  Tithymalus  aizoides  lactifluus,  the  Euphorbia  canariensis  of  Plun- 
kenet."  Miller  also  (Gard.  Diet.  vol.  i,  art.  Euphorbium)  states  that 
in  looking  over  some  Euphorbium  in  a  shop,  he  "  found  several  spines 
amongst  it,  which  exactly  agreed  with  those  of  that  plant."  Pereira 
found  in  some  specimens  of  the  gum,  spines  resembling  those  of  E. 
tetragona,  Haw. 
But  better  materials  led  Berg  to  trace  its  origin  to  a  new  species, 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  E.  resinifera,  and  described  from  dried 
remains  picked  out  of  the  gum.  E.  resinifera  has  a  stem  one-third 
the  size  of  that  of  E.  canariensis,  and  stalked  umbels,  whilst  E.  cana- 
riensis has  almost  sessile  flowers.    Berg  gives  figures  in  "  Berg  und 
