AseptJembef,ui8S-}  Rhamnus  Purshiana.  467 
On  the  basis  of  these  results  Engler  propounded  a  theory,  which 
has  been  extensively  discussed  and  generally  accepted,  that  animal 
remains  seem  to  be  indicated  as  the  main  source  of  the  formation  of 
our  petroleum  deposits.  His  view,  as  expressed  in  the  paper 
referred  to,  is  that  while  the  nitrogenous  tissue  of  these  animal 
deposits  has  disappeared  as  the  most  ready  alterable  portion,  the 
fatty  tissues  have  undergone  a  slow  destructive  distillation  under 
pressure  with  the  formation  of  our  petroleum  oils. 
In  the  light  of  the  results  presented  in  this  note  on  the  destructive 
distillation  of  linseed  oil,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  we  can  avoid 
widening  Engler's  theory  so  as  to  include  the  vegetable  seed  oils  as 
probable  additional  sources  of  the  petroleum  oil  formation.  More- 
over, I  see  no  reason,  if  lard  oil  will  yield  the  results  which  Engler 
has  obtained,  to  doubt  that  vegetable  oleins,  like  olive  oil  and  its 
class,  may  also  be  found  to  be  capable  of  the  same  changes. 
Professor  Engler  showed  at  the  World's  Fair  Congress  of  Chemists, 
in  1893,  a  refined  burning  oil  and  scale  paraffin  which  had  been 
obtained  by  him  from  fish  oil.  I  have  here  the  corresponding  pro- 
duct, including  the  scale  paraffin. from  linseed  oil. 
HISTORY  AND  NAMES  OF  RHAMNUS  PURSHIANA 
(CASCARA  SAGRADA).1 
By  J.  U.  Lloyd. 
Contribution  of  the  Research  Committee  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association.'2 
In  a  paper  contributed  to  New  Preparations  f  October  15,  1877, 
p.  8,  the  late  Dr.  J.  H.  Bundy,  an  eclectic  physician  of  Colusa,  Cal., 
recommended  cascara  sagrada  as  a  valuable  remedy  in  the  treatment 
of  constipation.  This  notice  was  by  means  of  a  brief  note  that  was 
part  of  a  paper  on  Berberis  aquifolium,  Dr.  Bundy  promising,  how- 
ever, to  give  it  further  attention,  as  follows  : 
"  It  is  not  my  purpose  to  treat  on  cascara  sagrada  in  this  paper ; 
but,  using  it  in  connection  with  the  Berberis,  I  simply  make  men- 
1  Presented  at  the  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association, 
Montreal,  1896. 
2  Introductory  to  a  contribution  on  a  chemical  investigation  of  Rhamnus 
purshiana,  undertaken  by  Alfred  R.  L.  Dohme. 
3  New  Preparations.    Detroit :  Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 
