MEDICO-BOTANICAL NOTICES. 105 
one of magnesia, and five of water, four of which constitute 
water of crystallization, and the fifth combined water. To 
express this by the above mode, the following formula is used, 
MgO,M h +4Aq. 
ART. XXII.— MEDICO-BOTANICAL NOTICES. No. XIV. 
Indian Senna. — Under the name of Cassia lanceolata is 
described by Dr. Wallich, in the eighth volume of the 
Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta, 
the plant which affords this common article of merchandise. 
This appellation was first employed by Forskall to designate 
the acute-leaved variety of senna in contra-distinction to the 
obtuse-leaved, and has been supposed by able botanists to 
refer to one of the species entering into the composition of 
Alexandrian senna. This was the opinion of Lamarck and 
subsequently of Decandolle, as both of them refer the 
species to Egypt, when speaking of it. Decandolle, in fact, 
correctly blends together this species and the C. acutifolia 
of Delile. Nectoux adopted the name of C. lanceolata 
when treating of the Egyptian species, and undoubted evi- 
dence is presented in his memoir, and that of Delile, that 
they both referred to the same plant, to the exclusion of that 
yielding Mocha or Indian senna. Dr. Wallich, whatever 
may be the merit of his description, which coincides with 
that of Fee, (see Journal of Pharmacy, vol. iii., p. 226,) 
has been unfortunate in the name adopted by him, and in his 
citation of European botanists; all of whom have drawn a 
distinction between the plant affording a portion of the Alex- 
andrian drug and that yielding the Indian article. He 
certainly could never have seen the description of this last 
under the name of C. elongata, Lemaire, or he would not 
VOL. iv. — no. n 14 
