74        Materia  Medica  qf  the  Mexican  Pharmacopoeia.  { AmFehT,\m&Tm' 
compound  belongs  to  the  class  of  quinones,  and  the  name  perezone 
was  proposed  for  it  by  the  latter. 
For  the  preparation  of  pipAtzahoina,  the  crude  pipitzahoic  acid  is 
directed  to  be  put  in  a  thin  layer  upon  a  porcelain  plate,  covered  with 
a  glass  funnel ;  a  gentle  heat  is  applied  by  means  of  a  sand  bath,  and 
when  the  sides  of  the  funnel  are  covered  with  crystals,  the  white  ones 
are  collected,  and  those  near  the  lower  edge,  which  are  usually  colored, 
are  again  sublimed.  The  compound  forms  prismatic  needles  and  cry- 
stallizes from  its  solutions  in  plates;  it  is  white,  fusible,  volatile, 
neutral  to  litmus  paper,  inodorous  and  tasteless,  but  finally  slightly 
bitter.  It  is  insoluble  in  water,  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether  and  chloro- 
form, also  in  potassa,  the  latter  solution  being  precipitated  by  acids, 
while  the  alcoholic  solution  is  precipitated  by  sulphuric  acid,  the  pre- 
cipitate being  soluble  in  alcohol.  Xitric  acid  converts  the  compound 
into  a  yellow  amorphous  resin. 
Platano.  The  species  most  common  in  Mexico  are  Musa  paradi- 
siaca,  Lin.,  known  as  platano  largo  (plantain)  M.  sapientum,  Idn.f 
the  platano  guineo  or  camburi  (banana),  M.  regia,  Lin.,  the  platano 
dominico  or  costeno,  and  M.  coccinea,  Andrews,  the  platano  rojo  de 
China.  The  fruit  contains  sugar,  gum,  malic  acid,  gallic  acid,  albu- 
men and  pectin,  and  in  the  green  state  much  starch.  The  juice  of 
the  stem  is  used  as  an  astringent  and  the  fruit  of  the  banana  is  popu- 
larly regarded  as  pectoral;  the  green  as  well  as  the  ripe  fruit  is 
alimentary. 
Pochote,  Eriodendron  anfractuosum,  De  Cand.;  Bombacese;  in 
hot  and  damp  localities.  The  gum  which  exudes  from  the  stem,  is 
used  in  enteritis;  the  fruit  is  comestible  and  the  cotton  which  sur- 
rounds the  seeds  is  utilized  for  filling  cushions,  &c.  The  same  uses 
are  made  of  the  ceiba  espinosa,  Eriodendron  leiantherum,  JDe  Cand.  . 
Poligala  mexicana,  Polygala  mexicana,  Flor.  Mex.  ined.,  Pol.  sco- 
paria,  Kunth;  Polygalacese ;  near  the  city  of  Mexico.  The  root  is 
mostly  simple,  slender,  tortuous,  in  the  centre  and  in  the  outer  layers 
resembling  senega  root,  as  well  as  in  odor  and  taste.  Simeon  obtained 
from  it  sugar,  starch  and  bitter  extractive,  the  latter  in  about  one  half 
the  proportion  obtainable  from  senega.  In  small  doses  of  about  0*20 
gm.  it  is  used  as  a  tonic,  and  in  doses  of  2  or  3  gm.  as  an  emetic. 
According  to  Schiede,  Spermacoce  diversifolia  (Rubiacese)  which  has 
different  properties,  is  used  in  place  of  polygala ;  and  Cal  states  that 
Pol.  tricosperma  is  substituted  for  senega.    Pol.  rivinsefolia  is  found 
