DISPENSATORY OP THE U. S. OF AMERICA. 173 
ward. The leaves are then cut off near to the stem, and 
arranged around the hole, so that the juice which runs out 
may be received into the skin. The juice flows most freely 
in hot weather. (Un. Breth. Mission Intelligencer, N. Y., 
vol. vi. p. 436. )" "The finest kind is collected at the Mis- 
sionary Institution at Bethelsdorp, and hence called Bethels- 
dorp aloes. Its superiority is owing exclusively to the 
greater care observed in conducting the evaporation, and in 
avoiding the intermixture of earth, stones, and other impu- 
rities. (Dunsterville, in Pereira's Mat. Med.)" 
In the case of socotrine aloes, it is stated, that " we have 
been able to discover no good reason for depriving the 
A. socotrina of the honor formerly conceded to it, of pro- 
ducing this variety of aloes. If the species under this name, 
which is described in Lamark's Encyc, and in Curtis' 
Mag., where it is also figured, as well as in the Plantes 
Grasses of Decandolle, be the product of Socotora, it must 
be conceded to be the true plant, Ainslie's authority to the 
contrary notwithstanding." This kind has been brought 
direct to this country. By the ship Sultanee, from Mus- 
cat, despatched by the Imaum, several qualities of the drug 
were introduced — the finest corresponding to the description 
given in the work; the coarsest, dark-colored, dull, dirty, and, 
when dry, very friable, answering to the account of hepatic 
aloes. This circumstance favors the opinion, that the East 
Indian hepatic and socotrine are derived from the same 
source. 
Catechu. — No difficulty in correctly attributing the va- 
rieties of drugs to their correct sources has been greater 
than that connected with the determination of astringent 
substances. Of this, catechu may be cited as an example. 
Beside Acacia catechu, several other plants are now de- 
scribed as yielding different kinds of it. The varieties are 
presented in the Dispensatory as officinal and non-officinal. 
To the first belong — 1. Plano-convex catechu, ( Cake cate- 
chu,) of which it is said, that " it is common at present in 
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