50  Pharrnacognoslical  and  Chemical  Notes.  {k%^XmT^' 
but  is  sometimes  mixed  with  the  root  bark  in  variable  proportions. 
Both  barks  are  said  to  be  alike  active  as  anthelmintics,  but  the  medi- 
cinal reputation  appears  to  be  based  mainly  upon  the  effects  of  the 
bark  of  the  trunk  and  branches. 
Qhiretta  is,  according  to  our  pharmacopoeia,  the  entire  plant  of 
Agathotes  Chirayto  Don.  As  seen  in  commerce,  it  consists  mainly  of 
the  roots  and  bare  stems  with  a  few  fragments  of  the  leaves  and 
flowers  or  capsules  still  attached,  while  the  far  greater  portion  of 
these  organs  have  been  broken  off.  The  specimen  here  shown  is  an 
original  bundle,  32  inches  in  length,  five  inches  in  width  and  varying 
from  one-half  to  one  inch  in  thickness,  thus  presenting  the  form  of 
an  elongated  parallelopiped  in  appearance  ;  its  weight  is  about  one 
pound.  The  stems  are  folded  back  on  themselves,  so  as  to  show 
principally  the  paniculate  infloresence,  composed  of  numerous  umbel- 
like cymes  situated  along  the  branches.  The  bundle  is  tied  at  both 
extremities  and  in  the  centre  with  split  cane,  and  the  plant  has  the 
peculiar  bitter  taste  to  an  intense  degree. 
A  False  Angustura  Bark,  which  has  been  sold  to  a  small  extent  in 
this  city,  was  shown  to  me  a  short  time  ago.  The  small  piece  which 
I  first  saw  was  quite  thin,  covered  with  a  greyish  cork  exhibiting 
patches  of  an  orange  shade,  while  the  inner  surface  was  of  a  dark 
brown,  so  as  to  present  at  first  sight  an  appearance  reminding  of  the 
bark  of  Strychnos  nux  vomica,  which  is  usually  designated  as  false 
angustura  bark.  The  bark  in  question,  however,  is  of  such  a  fibrous 
texture  that  the  idea  of  its  probable  identity  with  the  strychnos  bark 
is  at  once  dispelled.  The  specimen  here  shown  is  in  slightly  curved 
pieces,  seven  inches  and  less  in  length,  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  and 
less  in  thickness  ;  intermixed  with  some  half  quills  and  a  few  quills. 
It  consists  altogether  of  the  inner  bark  or  bast  layer,  the  outer  bark 
having  been  thrown  off  by  the  cork.  The  suberous  layer  shows  nu- 
merous small  warts  more  or  less  confluent  laterally,  so  as  to  form 
elevated  patches,  but  mainly  uniting  in  the  direction  of  the  axis  to 
short,  very  irregular,  longitudinal  ridges.  The  cork  is  very  soft,  al- 
most mealy,  of  a  light  brownish-grey  color  externally,  and  of  a  de- 
cided pale  orange-rust-brown  within.  The  surface  layer  being  easily 
rubbed  off,  the  orange  tinted  patches  are  easily  explained ;  their  color, 
however,  is  never  of  the  bright  orange-red  of  the  patches  upon  the 
strychnos  bark.  The  inner  bark  consists  of  a  dark  brown  parenchy- 
ma, in  which  coarse,  light  colored  bast  fibres  are  imbedded  in  inter- 
