168 
Cortex  Juglandis  Cinerece. 
(  Am.  Jotjr.  Pharm. 
t      Apr.  1, 1874. 
lected  earlier.  I  would  not  recommend  the  use  of  bark  that  has 
been  collected  earlier  than  May,  for  I  found  that  some  collected  in 
April  yielded  an  extract  which  had  a  sweetish  insipid  taste,  and  was 
decidedly  less  strong  than  that  made  from  bark  collected  later.  The 
bark  used  for  my  analysis  was  obtained  from  the  stem  of  the  tree, 
and  was  collected  during  the  month  of  July,  1873.  It  was  from  f  to 
|-  of  an  inch  thick,  and  consisted  of  a  liber  ranging  from  J  to  J  inch 
in  thickness,  which  was  covered  with  a  grayish-colored  corky  layer. 
The  corky  layer  was  marked  with  irregular  longitudinal  fissures,  and 
penetrated  very  unevenly  into  the  liber.  When  first  taken  from 
the  tree  the  liber  was  wJiite,  but  on  exposure  to  the  air,  it  first  ac- 
quired a  lemon-yellow,  and  ultimately  a  deep  brown,  almost  black 
color.  The  odor  was  quite  strong  and  peculiar,  and  the  taste  was 
bitter  and  very  acrid.  When  the  liber  is  chewed,  it  stains  the  saliva 
yellow,  and  leaves  a  brownish  stain  upon  the  tongue.  Having  freed 
the  liber  from  the  layer  of  cork,  I  carefully  dried  it,  and,  upon  exam- 
ining it;  found  that  its  inner  surface  was  quite  smooth,  that  its  trans- 
verse fracture  was  somewhat  fibrous,  and  that  its  longitudinal  fracture 
was  quite  uneven.  A  cross  section  of  the  liber  shows  the  bast  fibres 
to  be  placed  tangentially,  and  it  has  a  checkered  appearance,  which 
is  caused  by  the  radial  medullary  rays  crossing  the  tangential  rows 
of  bast  fibres.  In  the  fresh,  undried  bark,  the  fracture  shows  white 
edges,  which  quickly  change  color  from  lemon-yellow  to  brown,  but 
in  the  dry  bark  the  fractured  edges  do  not  change  color,  unless  they 
be  moistened  with  water.  Unless  the  bark  is  dried  immediately  after 
being  collected,  it  becomes  of  a  deep  brown  color  throughout,  and 
loses  its  bitter,  acrid  taste,  and  acquires  an  insipid,  resinous  taste. 
Whether  this  change  of  color  and  taste  affects  the  medicinal  virtues  of 
the  bark,  I  cannot  say,  but  I  would  recommend  that  the  bark  be 
dried  at  once  after  collection.  While  trimming  the  bark,  my  hands 
were  stained  a  decided  brown  color,  which  I  found  very  difficult  to 
remove.  Butternut  bark  possesses  mild  cathartic  properties,  and  has 
acquired  considerable  reputation  in  bowel  affections,  particularly  in 
cases  of  dysentery.  It  is  given  in  the  form  of  decoction  or  extract, 
never  in  substance.  An  extract  of  the  bark  is  officinal  in  our  Phar- 
macopoeia under  the  name  of  extractum  juglandis,  and  when  given  in 
doses  of  grs.  v — x,  acts  as  a  laxative,  and  in  doses  of  grs.  xx — xxx, 
as  a  purge.  Under  the  name  of  juglandin,  there  appears  in  com- 
merce an  eclectic  resinoid,  which  is  obtained  by  exhausting  the  offici- 
