Aru.  Jour.  Pbarm.") 
May,  1898.  j 
Cascarilla  Bark. 
237 
clean  amalgam.  It  is  reported  that  the  Indians  make  a  glue  from 
it,  with  which  they  fasten  the  heads  of  the  arrows  to  the  shafts. 
Mr.  Avery  says  "  that  people  living  in  the  desert  ascribe  wonder- 
ful properties  to  it  for  curing  external  ailments,  as  galls  and  bruises 
on  horses  and  mules.  Pedestrians  who  become  footsore  by  walking 
on  hot  sand  claim  to  have  been  quickly  cured  by  soaking  the  soles 
of  their  feet  in  a  decoction  of  this  herb." 
The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  analysis  made  by  Mr.  Krewson  : 
Moisture,  7  per  cent.;  ash,  7-45  per  cent. 
{soluble  in  water,  28*18  per  cent, 
caoutchouc,  '43  per  cent, 
fixed  oil  and  fat,  "93  per  cent. 
(  resins  and 
"  stronger  ether,  17*27  per  cent.  {  vegetable  acids> 
r  resins,  chlorophyll  and 
alcohol,  7-30  per  cent.  {  vegetable  acids>  ■ 
(  mucilage,  1*92  p.  c;  dextrin,  4*33  p.  c; 
'  water>  II"7I  Per  ceDt*  j  glucose,  *3i  p.  c;  sucrose,  *i2  p.  c. 
r  albuminous  and  mucilaginous 
"  alkaline  water,  6*24  per  cent.  {  matters>  .I3  per  cent> 
"  acidulated  water,  3*17  per  cent,  (pararabin,  1*59  per  cent.) 
Starch,  3*21  per  cent. 
From  the  analysis,  and  the  report  of  its  uses,  it  is  seen  that  when 
used  externally  it  has  strong  antiseptic  and  stimulant  properties. 
Its  pharmacy  has  not  been  studied,  but  an  excellent  ointment  might 
be  prepared  by  incorporating  a  definite  amount  of  the  resin  with 
lard,  or  by  digesting  upon  a  water-bath  the  leaves  of  the  plant  with 
lard.  It  is  possible  that  when  used  internally  it  will  prove  a  stimu- 
lating expectorant  analagous  to  eriodictyon. 
ALKALOIDAL  CONSTITUENTS  OF  CASCARILLA  BARK.1 
By  W.  A.  H.  Nayi^or,  F.I.C. 
This  paper  is  intended  to  be  a  reply  in  the  main  to  question  No. 
12  of  the  "  Blue  List"  issued  by  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Con- 
ference. The  question  is:  "A  re-examination  of  cascarilla  bark  is 
desirable,  and  particularly  with  reference  to  the  observation  that  it 
contains  an  alkaloid  closely  allied  to  choline."  This  particular  ref- 
erence to  choline  is  to  be  found  in  a  paper  by  Dr.  Boehm,  an 
abstract  of  which  appears  in  the  "Year  Book  of  Pharmacy,"  1886, 
page  168. 
1  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  March  19,  1898. 
