52  Pharmacognostical  and  Chemical  Notes.  {A* 5wT*' 
it  shows  concentric,  somewhat  irregular,  zones,  resembling  annual 
rings,  and  is  radially  very  finely  striate  from  the  numerous  very  fine 
medullary  rays.  The  duramen  has  a  purplish-gray  tint,  the  albur- 
num is  yellowish-white.  There  is  no  perceptible  odor  to  either  wood 
or  bark  ;  the  former  is  tasteless,  the  latter  has  a  slight  bitterish  taste* 
The  central  pith  is  scarcely  a  line  in  diameter  and  of  a  brownish  to 
purplish-brown  color. 
The  genus  Bouvardia  belongs  to  the  natural  order  of  Rubiacese, 
tribe  Cinchonaceae,  subtribe  Cinchoneae.  De  Candolle  *  enumerates 
eleven  species,  all  shrubby  plants  and  natives  of  Mexico,  having  the 
leaves  either  verticillate  or  opposite.  The  scars  on  the  specimens  in 
question  are  three  or  four  in  a  whorl,  indicating  that  the  plant  be- 
longs to  the  former  section  and  is  most  likely  B.  triphylla^  Salisbury, 
The  following  description  is  translated  from  De  Candolle  (loc  cit.) 
Bouvardia  Jacquini,  H.  B.  K.,  small  branches  triangular  ;  leaves 
somewhat  rough,  hairy  beneath,  smooth  above,  ternate,  oblong, 
corymbs  subtrichotomous  ;  calyx  lobes  one-fifth  the  length  of  the 
roughish  corolla  tube  ;  corolla  red,  the  tube  f  inch  long ;  varies  with 
the  leaves  pubescent  and  glabrous. 
The  following  synonyms  are  mentioned  in  the  same  place  :  Ixora 
Americana,  Jacquin  ;  Ixora  ternifolia,  Car.  ;  Houstonia  coccinea,  An- 
drews ;  Bouvardia  triphylla,  var.  a.,  Salisbury,  and  Tlacoxochilt  jas- 
miniflora,  Hernandez. 
Picric  Acid  Mistaken  for  Santonin.  A  vial  found  in  a  closet  in  a 
drug  store,  was  labelled  santonin  ;  the  contents  were  crystalline,  of  a 
yellow  color,  and  of  an  intensely  bitter  taste,  which  prevented  it  from 
being  used  as  santonin,  for  the  variety  colored  yellow  by  light  it 
might  have  been  taken  on  a  superficial  examination.  It  was  handed 
to  me  for  identification,  and  the  investigation  was  performed  at  the 
College  laboratory  by  Mr.  W.  L.  Harrison  of  Petersburg,  Va.  The 
absence  of  santonin  and  of  an  alkaloid,  especially  berberina,  was 
proven  by  appropriate  tests,  and  the  freedom  from  inorganic  matter 
was  established  by  incineration.  The  following  summary  gives  an 
account  of  Mr.  Harrison's  examination. 
The  substance  was  in  light  yellow  shining  laminae,  taste  very  bitter 
and  somewhat  sour  ;  it  reddens  litmus  and  melts,  when  slowly  heated^ 
into  a  brownish  yellow  liquid,  which  immediately  becomes  crystalline 
*Prodromus,  iv,  p,  365. 
