Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1886. 
Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica. 
299 
scattered  in  the  parenchyma.  Two  or  three  inner  rows  of  the  cork 
cells  have  colorless  cell  walls,  the  remainder  brownish  red.  The  aver- 
age thickness  of  the  soft  bast  layer  is  100  micromm.;  mixed  bast 
layer,  500;  cortical  parenchyma,  200  (including  layer  of  stone  cells, 
50),  and  cork,  200  micromm. 
The  West  Indian  Sandal  Wood  is  not  yielded  by  a  sandal  tree,  its 
structure  being  entirely  different.  The  Macassar  wood  is  probably 
produced  by  a  different  species,  or  at  least  a  distinct  variety  of  S.  album, 
since  the  woods  of  other  santalaceae  differ  to  scarcely  any  greater  extent 
in  structure,  but  exhibit  no  such  peculiarity  in  the  behavior  of  the 
oil  towards  iodine. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  April  10,  1886,  pp. 
858-860. 
Oil  of  Myrtus  communis  is  now  discussed  in  medical  journals 
under  the  name  of  Myrtol,  with  reference  to  the  observations  made  by 
Dr.  Linarix  and  published  in  Paris,  1878,  under  the  title  of  "De 
Femploi  du  myrtol  ou  essense  de  myrte  principalement  dans  les  mala- 
dies des  voies  respiratoires  et  genito-urinaires."  The  oil  has  antiseptic 
and  disinfecting  properties,  does  not  irritate  the  unabraded  skin,  is  a 
digestive  stimulant,  and,  in  large  doses,  produces  nausea  and  headache, 
at  the  same  time  a  violet-like  odor  being  observed  in  the  breath  and 
in  the  urine.  It  is  given  in  gelatin  capsules  containing  0.15  gm.  of 
the  oil,  about  6  doses  being  taken  during  the  day.  The  oil  is  recom- 
mended in  various  forms  of  catarrh,  and  as  an  antiseptic  in  certain 
putrid  discharges ;  externally,  also,  in  rheumatism  and  psoriasis. 
Anisic  acid  has  been  recommended  as  an  antiseptic  application  for 
sores,  and  as  an  antipyretic  remedy  which  resembles  salicylic  acid  in 
its  action  and  has  slightly  toxic  effects.  The  acid  is  an  oxidation 
product  of  anethol,  and  may  be  prepared  from  oil  of  anise  and  other 
volatile  oils  containing  anethol  by  oxidation  with  nitric  acid,  or  with 
potassium  bichromate.  Zervas  recommended  its  preparation  from  6 
parts  of  the  bichromate,  9  of  water,  and  7  of  sulphuric  acid,  to  which 
mixture  1  part  of  anise  oil  is  added ;  after  the  reaction  has  subsided 
cold  water  is  added,  and  the  acid  is  purified  by  recrystallization. 
Anisic  acid  has  the  formula  C8H803,  crystallizes  in  colorless,  glossy, 
needles  or  rhombic  prisms,  is  inodorous,  has  a  slight  taste  and  an  acid 
reaction,  and  dissolves  in  alcohol,  ether  and  hot  water,  crystallizing 
from  the  latter  solution  on  cooling.  It  melts  at  175°C,  and  volatilizes 
at  a  higher  temperature.  Its  alkali  and  ferrous  salts  are  insoluble  in 
water;  most  of  the  other  salts  are  sparingly  soluble  and  may  be 
