'^""■oct"^i885*'^™*}     Elixirs  of  Quinine,  Simple  and  Compound.  477 
Bemarhs  by  the  Editor. — As  an  acceptable  supplement  to  the  paper 
by  Dr.  Lyons,  a  botanical  plate  of  Erythroxylon  Coca,  Lamarck,  is 
added,  from  the  leaves  of  which  plant  cocaine  is  obtained.  For  this 
plate,  which  is  a  reproduction  of  that  contained  in  Bentley  and 
Trimen's  well  known  work  on  Medical  Plants,'^  we  are  indebted  to 
Messrs.  Parke  Davis  &  Co.,  of  Detroit.  The  shrub  which  is  doubtless 
indigenous  to  the  mountainous  districts  near  the  West  coast  of  South 
America,  is  extensively  cultivated  there,  and  also  in  the  countries  east 
of  the  Andes.  A  branch  with  young  foliage  and  flowers  is  repre- 
sented by  Fig.  1.  The  flowers  (Fig.  2)  have  a  deeply  five-lobed  calyx 
(Figs.  4  and  5),  five  broadly-clawed  petals  provided  with  a  ligula 
(Fig.  3),  ten  hypogynous  stamens,  and  an  ovoid  ovary  with  three 
styles  (Fig.  5),  and  divided  into  three  cells  (Fig.  7),  of  which  two  are 
usually  abortive,  so  as  to  appear  one-celled  (Fig.  8).  A  longitudinal 
section  of  the  ovary  containing  one  ovule  is  shown  in  Fig.  6.  The 
red  fruit  is  drupaceous  (Figs.  9  and  10),  and  at  its  base  is  surrounded 
by  the  calyx  and  short  tube  of  the  stamens ;  a  transverse  section  of  it 
(Fig.  11)  shows  a  thin  sarcocarp  and  endocarp,  which  is  filled  by  the 
seed,  and  this  contains  within  a  thin  testa,  the  straight  embryo  and 
tough  albumen.  The  shape  of  the  stipules  and  their  attachment 
between  the  petioles  and  branches  is  shown  in  Fig.  12,  and  the  apex: 
of  a  leaf  in  Fig.  13. 
ELIXIKS  OF  QUININE,  SIMPLE  AND  COMPOUND. 
By  R.  Bother. 
For  obvious  reasons,  it  is  desirable  that  the  various  elixirs  com- 
pounded by  pharmacists  should  possess  a  definite  and  consistent  struc- 
ture and  a  general  uniformity  of  the  respective  kinds.  Their  method 
of  preparation  should  partake  of  a  parallel  character  which,  aside 
from  simplicity  and  facility,  should  also  attain  a  reasonable  accuracy. 
Beside  the  distinctive  medicinal  agent,  the  characteristic  base  of  all 
elixirs  is  an  aromatic,  sweetened,  spirituous  liquor.  The  Pharma- 
copoeia has  now  recognized  a  simple  elixir  in  accordance  with  these 
requirements.  The  official  aromatic,  although  simple  enough,  is  far 
from  the  best  that  might  have  been  chosen.  The  superficial,  evanes- 
cent and  wholly  illusive  aroma  of  oil  of  orange  is  ill  adapted  in  cases 
requiring  coincidently  a  decided  flavor  of  permanent  character  and 
