"^"'Mar  18^85''™'}    Materia  Medica  of  the  Mexican  Pharmacopoeia.  281 
tannin^  wax  and  volatile  oil.  The  volatile  oil  is  nearly  all  dissipated 
on  drying,  at  least  after  several  months.  It  seems  almost  impossible 
that  this  nearly  tasteless  rhizome  shonld  have  the  wonderful  properties 
ascribed  to  it  by  certain  eclectic  physicians.  If  any  part  of  the  plant 
is  of  any  use  medicinally,  I  would  judge  it  to  be  the  fresh  leaves. 
MA.TERIA  MEDICA  OF  THE  NEW  MEXICAN  PHARMA- 
COPCEIA. 
By  the  Editor. 
The  Sociedad  Farmaceutica  de  Mexico/^  published  a  national  phar- 
macopoeia in  1874,  and  a  second  revised  edition  of  this  work  appeared 
last  year  in  the  Spanish  language  under  the  title  of  "Nueva  Farma- 
copea  Mexicana  de  la  Sociedad  Farmaceutica  de  Mexico/'  the  revision 
having  been  entrusted  to  a  permanent  commission  consisting  of  Pro- 
fessors Alfonso  Herrera,  Francisco  Gonzalez,  Jose  M.  Laso  de  la  Vega, 
Severiano  Perez  and  Dr.  Manuel  S.  Soriano. 
It  is  a  handsome  octavo  volume,  the  first  32  pages  of  which  are 
oceupied  with  a  historical  introduction  and  an  explanation  of  the 
arrangement  of  the  work.  Then  follow  16  pages  of  preliminary  mat- 
ter, containing  various  tables,  the  most  important  of  which  for  our 
purpose  are  the  tables  of  weights  and  measures.  All  pharmaceutical 
preparations  being  made  by  weight,  a  comparison  of  the  medicinal 
weights  will  serve  to  show  the  great  difference  between  the  values 
attached  to  the  same  signs  used  in  prescriptions  in  Mexico  and  in  the 
United  States. 
Mexican  weights, 
lb  i  =    xvi  ^  gr.  9216  =  gm.  460*24 
^  i  =  3  viii  =  gr.  576  =  gm.  28*76 
3i  =  9iii  =gr.    72=gm.  3-60 
9i     =gr.    24  =  gm.  1-20 
gr.  i      =  gDi.  O'Oo 
United  States  weights, 
ft)  i  — ^  xii  =  gr.  5760  =  gm.  373-24 
5  i  =    viii  =  gr.  480  =  gm.  3M0 
^i^J^iii  =gr.    60  =  gm.  3-89 
9i     =gr.    20  =  gm.  1-30 
gr.  i      =  gm.  0-065 
The  Mexican  measure  of  capacity,  the  cuartillo,  is  nearly  4  per  cent, 
smaller  than  the  American  pint,  the  former  being  456*00  cc,  the  latter 
473*18  cc.  The  cuartillo,  like  the  American  pint,  is  subdivided  into 
16  fluidounces  (onzas  medidas),  the  American  fluidounce  (29*57  cc.) 
being  about  1  cc.  larger  than  the  Mexican  onza  medida  (28*50  cc); 
the  latter  is  further  subdivided  into  8  fluidrachms,  and  these  into  3 
fluid  scruples. 
