450 
Prickly  Pear  in  America. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharna. 
\       Sept.,  1885. 
different  kiiids^  each  having  its  distinct  name.  They  are  of  different 
colors — green,  red,  yellow,  white,  and  purple.  The  fruit  is  delicious,, 
and  in  the  interior  of  Mexico  forms  one  of  the  principal  means  of  sus- 
tenance for  the  inhabitants.  From  the  purple  tuna  a  liquid  is  made 
called  colo7iehe,  and  a  sort  of  sweet  cheese  {qiie,so  de  tuna).  There  is  a 
small  red  tuna  growing  wild  in  the  mountains  near  to  Zacatecas,  called 
cardona,  which  is  highly  prized  on  account  of  its  fine  flavor  and  diges- 
tible qualities,  and  several  cartloads  of  which  are  sold  daily  in  Zaca- 
tecas. They  are  sold  at  six  cents  for  four  dozen.  Besides  serving  for 
food  for  men  and  beasts,  its  leaves  form  the  food  of  the  cochineal 
insect." — Phar.  Jour,  and  Tran^.,  June  27,  1885;  from  The  Garden- 
er^s  Chronicle,  June  20. 
Note  by  the  Editor. — The  Mexican  Pharmacopoeia  describes  a  product 
of  these  plants  under  the  designation  of  goma  de  nopal,  also  improperly 
called  tragaeanto  del  pais.  It  is  produced  by  different  Mexican  species 
of  Opuntia,  such  as  O.  Tuna,  Miller,  O.  rosea,  De  Cand.,  O.  Hernandezii^ 
De  C,  and  others,  the  plants  being  called  nochtli  in  Mexico,  pari  in  Tarasco, 
raquette  by  the  French  and  nopal  by  the  English  and  Spaniards.  The  gum 
is  in  vermicular  or  roundish  pieces,  horn-like,  yellowish  white,  translucent 
or  opaque  and  insipid.  Immersed  in  water  it  swells,  becomes  white,  does 
not  form  a  mucilage  and  leaves  a  farinaceous  residue.  With  iodine  it  be- 
comes blackish  blue.  The  microscope  reveals  groups  of  thin  needle-shaped 
crystals  of  calcium  oxalate,  by  the  presence  of  which  this  gum  is  easily 
recognized  if  used  for  adulterating  tragacanth.  It  is  employed  for  similar 
purposes  as  the  latter. 
Nopalillo,  Opuntia  Nopalillo,  Karwins,  is  a  Mexican  cactus,  of  which  the 
root  is  employed  in  the  form  of  infusion,  in  dysentery,  diarrhoea,  hsemop- 
tysis  and  metrorrhagia. 
Remedies  for  Corns. — For  corns  oleate  of  copper  spread  as  a  plaster  is 
recommended  in  "  St.  Louis  Med.  Jour."  This  has  probably  a  similar 
eltect  as  the  ceratum  aeruginis  of  German  pharmacy  which  contains  5  per 
cent,  of  verdigris,  while  some  old  formulas  directed  as  high  as  15  per  cent. 
See  also  May  number  p.  241. 
Lotion  for  Fcetid  Perspiration  of  the  Feet. —  Martin  ("  BulU 
g  ni.  de  tlierap.")  recommends  the  following  solution  : 
Permanganate  of  potassium   15  grains. 
Thymol   30  " 
Distilled  water   30  ounces. 
Inner  soles  made  of  filtering-paper,  cotton,  or  some  like  material,  are  to 
be  moistened  with  the  solution,  and  new  ones  should  be  used  every  morn- 
ing.— iV^.  Y.  Med.  Jour.,  May  23,  3885. 
