426 
Waras. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\     August,  1884. 
"In  the  middle  of  February,  1884,  the  following  processes  were 
observed : 
"The  leaves  [? fruiting  shoots]  of  some  plants  were  plucked  and 
allowed  to  dry  in  the  sun  for  three  or  four  days.  (The  picking  is  not 
done  carefully  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  the  surrounding  twigs, 
etc.,  is  mixed  with  the  berries  [pods].)  The  collected  mass  was  placed 
on  a  skin,  heaped  up  to  about  six  or  eight  inches  high,  and  was  tapped 
gently  with  a  short  stick  about  half  an  inch  thick.  After  some  time 
the  pods  were  denuded  of  their  outer  covering  of  red  powder  which 
fell  through  the  mass  on  to  the  skin.  The  upper  portion  of  the  heap 
was  then  cleared  away  and  the  residual  reddish  green  powder  was 
placed  in  a  flat  woven  grass  dish  with  a  sloping  rim  of  about  an  inch 
high.  This  receptacle  was  agitated  gently  and  occasionally  tapped 
Avith  the  fingers,  the  result  being  the  subsidence  of  the  red  powder 
and  the  rising  to  the  surface  af  the  chaffy  refuse,  which  latter  was 
carefully  worked  aside  to  the  edge  of  the  dish  and  then  removed  by 
hand.  This  winnowing  was  continued  until  little  remained  but  red 
powder.  (No  great  pains  are  even  taken  to  eliminate  all  foreign 
matter.)  A  rotl  was  sold  in  1884  for  about  13  piasters  =  1  rupee  10  as. 
nearly. 
" '  Waras '  is  sent  to  Arabia,  chiefly  to  Yemen  and  Hadhramaut, 
where  it  is  used  as  a  dye,  a  cosmetic,  and  a  specific  against  cold.  In 
order  to  use  it,  a  small  portion  of  the  powder  is  placed  in  one  palm 
and  moistened  with  water,  the  hands  are  then  rubbed  smartly  together, 
producing  a  lather  of  a  bright  gamboge  color,  which  is  applied  as 
required." — Pharm.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  May  17,  1884,  p.  917,  and 
May  31,  p.  969. 
Iodoform  Plaster.— Dr.  Pope  recommends  the  use  of  this  plaster  in 
cases  of  glandular  enlargement,  etc.  In  the  cases  in  which  he  has  tried  it 
(  Wiener  Medic.  Blatter)  there  was  a  marked  diminution  in  the  size  of  the 
tumor,  or  the  amount  of  effused  fluid,  in  what  may  be  considered  a  short 
time,  that  is  ten  days.  The  formulas  he  uses  are  (1)  Emplastrum  iodoformi 
forte  :  1  part  iodoform  to  2  parts  emplast.  adhesivum  and  emplast.  plumbi  (2) 
Emplast.  iodoformi  mite  :  1  part  iodoform  to  6  parts  of  the  plasters  named. 
The  plaster  is  spread  on  leather,  and  is  left  to  remain  in  situ  for  six  days. 
The  strong  preparation  is  recommended  in  glandular  enlargements,  etc. 
The  weaker  proves  useful  in  the  case  of  boils,  minor  injuries,  etc.— Medical 
Press  and  Circular;  Louisv.  Med.  News,  April  26. 
