Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
}Iay,  1898. 
Larrea  Mexicana. 
235 
therefore,  take  the  liberty  to  record  the  names  of  the  drugs  to  which, 
in  our  experience,  common  names  should  be  applied,  as  follows: 
Asthma  Weed,  for  Euphorbia  pilulifera  (to  distinguish  it  from 
other  species  of  Euphorbia). 
Black  Haw,  for  Viburnum  prunifolium  (to  distinguish  it  from 
Viburnum  opulus). 
Fragrant  Sumach,  for  Rhus  aromatica  (to  distinguish  it  from 
Rhus  Toxicodendron). 
Gravel  Root,  for  Eupatorium  purpureum  (to  distinguish  it  from 
Eupatorium  perfoliatum). 
Horse  Chestnut,  for  ^Esculus  Hippocastanum  (to  distinguish  it 
from  ^Esculus  glabra). 
Spikenard,  for  Aralia  racemosa  (to  distinguish  it  from  Aralia 
nudicaulis). 
Spotted  Spurge,  for  Euphorbia  hypericifolia  (to  distinguish  it 
-  from  Euphorbia  corollata  and  Euphorbia  pilulifera). 
Swamp  Milkweed,  for  Asclepias  incarnata  (to  distinguish  it  from 
Asclepias  cornuti  and  Asclepias  tuberosa). 
White  Snake  root,  for  Eupatorium  aromaticum  (to  distinguish  it 
from  Eupatorium  perfoliatum  and  Eupatorium  purpureum). 
"larrea  mexicana. 
By  Ceement  B.  Lowe,  M.D. 
Last  year  I  received  a  small  quantity  of  the  above-named  plant 
from  W.  C.  Amsden,  Ph.G.,  Class  of  1890,  of  Garner,  Iowa,  saying 
that  it  had  been  sent  by  an  uncle  in  California,  and  requesting  infor- 
mation about  it.  Afterwards,  at  my  request,  Mr.  Wm.  H.  Avery, 
of  Los  Angeles,  California,  sent  on  an  ample  supply  of  the  drug. 
The  chemical  investigation  was  carefully  performed  in  the  Chemi- 
cal Laboratory  of  the  College  by  \Vm.  E.  Krewson,  Jr.,  P.D.,  Class 
of  1898. 
From  the  "Botany  of  California"  (Brewer,  Watson  and  Gray), 
the  Botany  of  the  U.  S.  Death  Valley  Expedition,  1891,  and  from 
other  sources,  much  has  been  learned  about  this  interesting  plant. 
It  was  first  described  by  Moricaud,  PL  Nonv.  Amer.,  71  (1833-46) 
as  Larrea  mexicana,  N.  O.  Zygophyllacese.  Fremont,  who  met  the 
plant  in  the  Mohave  Desert,  named  it  ,Zygophyllum  californicum.  In 
1848  Engleman  published  the  plant  as  L.  glutinosa.  It  was  named 
by  the  government  botanist  L.  tridentata. 
