422 
Note  on  Kamala. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
X     August,  1884. 
plant,  Flemingia  congestaP  He  was  not  able  to  ascertain  if  it  is  col- 
lected in  India  or  whether  it  is  imported  from  Arabia.  I  have  not 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Dr.  Dy mock's  book;  but  it  was  the  note, 
as  above,  which  appeared  in  "  The  Month  "  of  a  recent  number  of  the 
"Pharmaceutical  Journal,"  which  first  attracted  my  attention  to  kamala 
and  its  sources.  Thinking  it  would  be  interesting  to  know  if  com- 
mercial kamala  was  entirely  the  produce  of  M.  phillipinensis,  I 
obtained  samples  of  the  drug  from  various  parts  of  the  country.  I 
find  that  every  one  of  the  specimens  obtained  from  dealers  is  genuine 
kamala. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Holmes,  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  has  been  kind 
enough  to  let  me  have  samples  of  the  specimens  in  the  Society's 
museum.    The  results  of  my  examination  are  as  follows  : 
Sample  marked  "  490  6,"  catalogued  "  Glands,  covering  fruit  of 
JRottlera  tinctorial  is  genuine  kamala. 
Sample  marked  "  490  g"  catalogued  "  Wurrus,  first  quality,"  is 
identical  with  the  purple  variety  examined  by  Professor  Fluckiger  and 
is  presumably  the  one  referred  by  Dr.  Dymock  to  Flemingia  congesta. 
Sample  marked  "  490  c?,"  catalogued  "  Wurrus,  second  quality."  This 
is  totally  different  from  either  of  the  other  two  varieties  spoken  of.  I 
have  been  unable  to  find  any  record  of  a  third  kind  of  this  drug.  I 
therefore  venture  to  put  before  you  a  short  description  of  this  speci- 
men. The  glands  are  from  50  to  170  mkm.  long,  and  from  50  to  100 
mkm.  broad.  When  seen  with  the  microscope  in  a  dry  state  they  are 
translucent  and  but  faintly  colored  yellow.  In  form  they  vary  very 
considerably ;  in  fact,  there  appears  to  be  no  prevailing  form.  They 
impart  but  little  color  to  ether,  alcohol  or  solution  of  caustic  potash. 
The  cells  are  devoid  of  any  such  resin  as  is  seen  in  the  other  two 
kinds.  In  solution  of  caustic  potash  they  swell  considerably,  and 
their  structure  is  rendered  clearly  visible.  They  consist  of  a  mass  of 
cells,  composed  of  cellulose,  enclosed  by  a  non-cellulose  membrane. 
The  cells  are  not  arranged  in  any  particular  manner.  The  general 
arrangement  is  shown,  wdien  seen  in  solution  of  potash,  in  Fig.  3,  B. 
The  hairs  are  similar  to  those  found  in  the  purple  variety,  being  quite 
simple. 
On  drawing  Mr.  Holmes's  attention  to  this  unknown  (?)  variety,  he 
informed  me  that  he  believed  it  was  the  second  kind  mentioned  by  Dr. 
Vaughan  in  his  "JSotes,"  and  this  sample  was  probably  given  by  him 
to  Mr.  Hanbury,  who  presented  it  to  the  Museum. 
