360  Gleanings  from  tke  German  Journals.  {AmjJ™l8p^ 
Ac.  variegatum,  Z.,  while  Siebold  considers  it  identical  with  his  Ac. 
chinense,  and  Miquel  identical  with  Ac.  Fischeri,  Reichb. 
The  second  species  is  considered  by  Reichenbach  to  be  a  cultivated 
variety  of  Ac.  uncinatum,  while  Siebold  and  Miquel  claim  that  it  is 
Ac.  lycoctonum,  Lin. 
Tatarinov  states  that  one  of  the  two  different  species  sold  in  China 
has  the  same  properties  as  the  root  described  by  Hanbury  as  Chuen- 
woo,  and  is  probably  identical  with  it;  while  the  other,  known  in 
China  as  Cao-wu-tu,  and  called  Tsaou-woo  by  Hanbury,  which  was 
recently  examined  by  Paul  and  Kingzett,  was  re-examined  by  Waso- 
wicz,  who  found  it  to  be  more  poisonous  than  the  Chuen-woo  root. — 
Archiv  d.  Pharm.,  March,  1879,  p.  217. 
Mexican  Sarsapariila  Root  and  Rhizoma  caricis  arenarise.— The 
former  is  considered  by  Prof.  Radius  not  only  equal,  but  even  superior  to 
Honduras  sarsapariila,  which  contains  more  starch,  since  the  efficacy 
does  not  depend  on  the  latter,  but  on  the  saponin  and  small  percentage 
of  resin,  a  larger  percentage  of  both  of  which  is  contained  in  the  Vera 
Cruz  (Mexican)  root.  The  author  also  recommends  the  so-called 
German  sarsapariila,  the  rhizome  of  Carex  arenaria,  as  an  equally  effi- 
cacious substitute  for  the  Central  American  sarsapariila,  having  at  the 
same  time  the  advantage  of  being  considerably  cheaper  (in  Germany). 
— Pharm.  Ztg.,  April  19,  1879,  p.  243. 
Tschuking. — Tschuking,  or  Zerechtit,  the  Abyssinian  drug,  which 
consists,  in  DragendorfF's  opinion,  of  the  leaves,  flowers  and  fruit  of 
Ubyasa  Schimperi,  was  re-examined  by  Daniel  Oliver,  Director  of  the 
Herbarium  at  Kew,  who  found  it  to  differ  greatly  from  Ubyaea,  but  to 
be  identical  with  Artemisia  abyssinica. — Archiv  d.  Pharm..  March, 
1879,  P*  226- 
Bernadinit,  an  interesting  new  mineral  resin  sent  from  San  Bernar- 
dino, California,  is  described  by  Stillman  as  a  light,  porous,  either  white 
or  light  yellowish  white  substance,  which  floats  on  water  like  coik,  has 
a  fibrous  fracture,  presents  under  the  microscope  an  indistinct  struc- 
ture, apparently  consisting  of  very  thin  fibres,  running  in  different 
directions,  is  readily  powdered,  has  the  specific  gravity  1*166,  softens 
below  ioo°C,  but  does  not  liquify  at  I40°C.  It  is  insoluble  in  water, 
with  which  it  forms  an  emulsion  when  boiled,  is  soluble  in  absolute 
alcohol  (hot  absolute  alcohol  dissolved  86*6  per  cent.),  partially  soluble 
