Am.  Jour.  Phabm.  1 
March  1,1871.  J 
Ylang-  Ylang. 
127 
be  given  by  the  mouth,  in  doses  of  from  one  to  four  grains  for  an 
adult ;  the  extract,  subcutaneously,  in  doses  of  one-tenth  to  one-third 
of  a  grain  and  more,  the  dosage  being  regulated  by  the  effects. 
The  physostigma  has  also  the  peculiar  properties  of  causing  very 
rapidly  contraction  of  the  iris,  and  altering  the  power  of  accommoda- 
tion of  the  lens,  and  it  has  been  largely  used  and  proved  of  great 
value  in  ophthalmic  practice.  Its  action  on  the  iris  was  first  pointed 
out  by  Dr.  Fraser,*  and  first  made  use  of  by  Dr.  Argyll  Robertson. f 
A  very  interesting  communication  on  the  subject,  by  Mr.  J.  Soelberg 
Wells,  containing  a  description  by  Mr.  Bowman  of  the  eff"ects  of  a 
solution  of  the  bean  on  his  own  eye,  was  published  in  the  Medical 
Times  and  G-azeite  in  1863.J  It  may  be  applied  by  touching  the 
inside  of  the  eyelid  with  a  solution,  one  minim  of  which  equals  four 
grains  of  the  bean,  or  by  placing  within  a  minute  portion  of  paper 
which  has  been  saturated  with  a  strong  solution. — Lond.  Pharm* 
Journ.^  Jan.  21,  1871. 
YLANG-YLANG. 
The  essence  of  llilang-Ihlang  is  distilled  from  the  flowers  of  the 
TJnona  odoratissima,  a  large  tree  which  grows  in  the  Philippine 
Islands,  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  and  the  Indian  Archipelago.  Ihlang- 
Ihlang  (improperly  spelt  Ylang-  Ylang  by  the  Spanish  residents)  is 
the  native  Tagal  name  this  tree  bears  in  the  Philippine  Islands.  The 
Malays  call  it  Kanonga^  and  it  is  found  described  under  that  name 
in  the  works  of  Rumphius,  an  eminent  botanist  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  who  says  that  the  smell  of  the  flowers  is  so  powerful  that  it 
scents  the  air  for  miles  around.  The  flowers  are  flosculent  and 
drooping,  and  of  a  greenish-yellow  color.  They  were  first  distilled 
by  a  chemist  at  Manilla,  and  yielded  an  essence  of  an  exquisite  odor, 
somewhat  partaking  of  the  jasmin  and  lilac,  but  still  having  a  flavor 
sui  generis.  This  essence  is  now  largely  manufactured,  and  used  by 
the  leading  perfumers  either  pure  or  in  compounds.    It  is  made 
*0n  the  Characters,  Actions  and  Therapeutic  Uses  of  the  Ordeal  Bean  of 
Calabar."  Graduation  Thesis.  August,  1862.  Edinburgh  Medical  and 
Surgical  Journal.  1863. 
t  Edinburgh  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal,  1863. 
t "  On  the  Effects  of  the  Solution  of  the  Calabar  Bean  on  the  Pupil,"  etc. 
Medical  Times  and  Gazette,  vol.  i,  p.  500,  1863. 
