528 
Correspondence. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\  November,  1915. 
In  our  experience,  this  statement  is  calculated  to  give  a  completely 
wrong  impression.  We  have  found  that  English  and  American  buyers 
are  equally  particular  in  their  purchases  of  such  articles  as  Bella- 
donna, Henbane,  etc.  By  far  the  larger  portion  of  the  output  of 
selected  English  medicinal  leaves  is  purchased  by  English  houses, 
and  the  amount  taken  by  American  consumers  is  very  small.  From 
what  we  have  always  been  led  to  understand,  American  buyers  have 
been  accustomed  to  fill  the  majority  of  their  needs  from  German  or 
other  sources. 
As  we  feel  that  Dr.  Kilmer's  statement  is  somewhat  a  reflection 
on  our  houses,  we  trust  you  will  see  your  way  to  publish  this  in  the 
next  issue  of  your  journal. 
We  are,  yours  truly, 
For  Wm.  Ransom  &  Son,  Ltd., 
Francis  Ransom, 
Director, 
For  Stafford  Allen  &  Sons,  Ltd., 
Kenneth  E.  Allen, 
Director. 
August  18,  1915. 
Mr.  Henry  Kraemer,  Editor, 
American  Journal  of  Pharmacy, 
145  North  Tenth  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Dear  Mr.  Kraemer  : 
I  have  read  with  interest  the  letter  of  Stafford  Allen  &  Sons.  Ltd., 
London,  England,  in  reference  to  my  paper  on  the  "  Cultivation  of 
Medicinal  Plants."  The  phraseology  to  which  they  refer  was  not 
intended  as  a  reflection  upon  Stafford  Allen  &  Sons,  whose  products 
are  well  known  and  whose  reputation  and  integrity  are  unquestioned. 
The  point  which  I  intended  to  make  was  that  the  English  and 
Continental  growers  are  enabled  to  utilize  all  portions  of  the  plant, 
while  we,  being  restricted  by  our  Pharmacopoeia  and  trade  customs, 
are  limited  to  certain  portions  of  the  plants.  For  example",  with 
Digitalis  we  are  at  the  present  time  restricted  to  the  leaves  from 
plants  of  the  second  year's  growth  at  the  commencement  of  flowering. 
In  Hyoscyamus  the  Pharmacopoeia  requires  only  the  dry  leaves  of 
the  flowering  tops  collected  from  plants  of  the  second  year's  growth. 
In  Belladonna  the  Pharmacopoeia  recognizes  the  leaves  and  the  root. 
