1 10 
Kola  and  Kolanin. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\  Febiuary,  1896. 
present,  we  dare  not  even  attempt  a  penetration  into  the  depth  of  the 
dead  or  the  vitalized  plant  as  to  the  compounds  we  have  grouped  in 
our  assay  as  "  matters."  We  may,  therefore,  turn  from  our  chemi- 
cal research  to  the  pharmacist's  ever-ready  crucible,  his  trained  and 
trusted  senses.  Take  an  undried  seed  of  our  Sterculia  plant,  prick 
through  its  skin  coating  or  break  it  open.  Mark  the  result.  In  a 
space  of  time  that  is  not  measurable,  the  color  of  the  flesh  within  the 
tissue  assumes  an  orange  brown  color  rapidly  extending  over  the 
whole  abrasion.  It  goes  on  until  the  whole  structure  assumes  this 
hue.  What  are  those  wondrous  transformations  that  take  place  be- 
fore our  eyes  ?  Is  it  not  reasonable  to  assume  that  if  our  assay  had 
been  made  before  the  tissue  had  been  broken,  it  would  have  given 
different  results  than  if  made  a  few  seconds  afterwards  ?  In  this  little 
act  have  we  not  in  some  way  loosened  the  dormant  chemic  life 
stored  within,  and  made  its  operations  visible  ?  Who  can  measure 
the  infinitesimal  energies  evolved  ?  By  the  prick  of  a  pin  we  have 
started  a  chemical  factory  in  motion,  have  involved  reactions,  equa- 
tions so  great  that  the  scientific  mind  cannot  calculate  them.  Bite 
off  a  piece  of  the  nut  and  chew  it.  At  first  the  taste  is  bitter  and 
acrid ;  under  the  grinding  and  mastication  this  changes  to  a  sweet. 
The  tongue  and  palate  reason  out  glucose  without  the  aid  of  Feh- 
ling's  solution.  Swallow  the  juice  or  the  masticated  substance,  put 
your  finger  upon  the  pulse  or  heart,  measure  the  beats  and  their 
force.  They  are  stronger  and  more  regular.  Measure  the  contrac- 
tions of  muscular  energy,  try  their  vigor  and  test  their  power  of  en- 
durance. The  intensity  and  force  is  amplified.  The  brain,  nerve 
and  muscle  have  received  an  impetus  and  derived  power  from  the 
energy  stored  within  a  little  nut-shell.  Is  it  because  the  plant  con- 
tains the  essence  of  energy  or  the  alkaloid  of  power  ?  Can  we  not 
more  truly  say  that  there  is  a  definite  chemical  affinity  between  the 
several  molecules  of  its  constituent  compounds  and  the  molecules  of 
the  nerve  organism,  with  stimulation  and  vigor  as  links  in  the  chain  ? 
The  native  users  of  this  plant  endowed  it  with  miraculous  powers. 
An  Arabian  physician,  a  few  centuries  ago,  named  it  the  "  tree  of 
heaven."  To-day,  the  medical  and  lay  journals  of  Europe  and 
America  tell  a  story  of  a  "  wonderful  tropical  nut,"  "  a  marvellous 
drug  from  Africa."  This  somewhat  crudely  indicates  our  exact 
knowledge  concerning  it.  A  distinguished  American  botanist  recently 
described  this  plant  as,  to  him,  the  most  fascinating  and  myste- 
