PULO  ARMAGrOZO  (BITTER  TREE  OF  TEXAS.) 
15 
PULO  ARMAGOZO  (BITTER  TREE  OF  TEXAS). 
Brownsville,  Texas,  April  9  th,  1867. 
Editor  of  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  : 
Dear  Sir, — For  the  past  two  or  three  years  I  have  heard  much 
regarding  the  efficacy  of  a  shrub,  or  tree,  known  in  this  section 
by  the  Mexican  name  of  u  Palo  armagozo  "  (bitter  tree),  in  the 
treatment  of  chronic  diarrhoea  and  dysentery.  It  was  first 
brought  to  my  notice  by  Hon.  Judge  Dougherty,  a  resident  of 
this  place,  and  who  has  used  it  with  wonderful  effect.  He  asserts 
that  he  has  cured  very  many  who  have  suffered  from  the  above 
complaints  for  many  years.  It  is  given  in  infusion, — say  one 
ounce  to  the  pint. 
I  send  you  pieces  of  the  stem  and  root,  and  would  request 
that  it  be  analyzed,  and,  should  you  think  it  of  any  value  as  a 
medicine,  to  publish  it,  so  that  all  may  know  of  it.  I  am  unable 
to  describe  the  tree,  as  I  have  never  seen  but  the  pieces  sent  you. 
I  am  assured  that  it  can  be  procured  in  the  greatest  abundance. 
Both  the  stem  and  root  are  used.  Should  you  be  pleased  to  give 
the  above  request  the  attention  I  solicit,  you  would  confer  a 
great  favor  on  Your  Subscriber,         J.  L.  Puteguat. 
[An  explanatiun  is  due  to  the  writer  of  this  letter.  It  was 
not  received  by  the  Editor  until  his  return  from  Europe,  late  in 
September. 
The  specimens  alluded  to  in  the  letter  consist  of  two  pieces, 
each  about  a  foot  long,  and  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  diameter ;  one,  a  section  of  the  stem,  with  the  remains  of 
lateral  branches,  varying  from  a  line  to  three  lines  in  diameter. 
The  wood,  which  is  lemon-yellow  colored,  deepened  by  moisture, 
is  covered  with  a  gray-colored  bark,  less  than  half  a  line  thick, 
with  numerous  lichens  attached.  Beneath  the  epidermis  the 
bark  is  first  brownish  and  then  yellow,  of  a  shade  little  different 
from  the  wood.  The  wood  is  close-grown,  but  not  very  dense. 
A  cross  section  with  a  sharp  knife  exhibits  radial  lines  and  cir- 
cles, with  deep  yellow  resinous  layers  between.  The  bark  is 
exceedingly  bitter,  reminding  of  quassia ;  the  wood  is  very 
slightly,  if  at  all  bitter. 
The  specimen  of  root  consists  of  a  main  or  tap  root,  with  a 
few  lateral  cylindrical  rootlets,  varying  from  one  to  two  and  a 
