Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
July, 1879 
Varieties. 
377 
This  change  consequently  presupposes  oxidation.  Mr.  Howard 
appears  to  consider  the  formation  of  paricine  as  being  dependent  upon 
a  special  tannin,  which  oxidizes  to  a  red  powder  and  simultaneously 
draws  the  crystallizable  alkaloids  within  the  sphere  of  this  decomposi- 
tion. That  this  hypothesis,  put  forward  by  Howard,  does  not  corres- 
pond with  the  facts  observed  in  India  is  apparent  by  the  examination 
•of  the  bark  of  the  slenderest  branches  of  C.  succirubra,  since  this  does 
indeed  contain  besides  quinamine  considerable  quantities  of  paricine, 
but,  on  other  hand,  no  trace  of  the  supposed  red  decomposition  product. 
With  respect  to  aricine,  moreover,  Howard  thinks  that  it  occurs  not 
pure  but  impure  in  C.  succirubra.  Apart  from  the  consideration  that  this 
opinion  is  unintelligible  to  a  chemist,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  stating 
that  I  meet  with  no  difficulty  in  the  separation  of  aricine  from  a  bark 
that  contains  it  in  the  so-called  impure  condition.  The  fact  is  that  C. 
succirubra  does  not  contain  the  smallest  trace  of  aricine,  even  in  the 
impure  condition,  and  that  paricine  is  not  a  derivative  of  aricine. 
Finally,  as  Mr.  Howard  expresses  at  the  close  of  his  communication 
the  hope  that  shortly  he  will  be  able  to  make  a  communication  upon 
the  properties  of  aricine  through  an  investigation  of  the  substance,  it 
may  also  be  mentioned  that  several  years  ago  I  published  a  thorough 
investigation  of  aricine  and  its  companion,  cusconine,  in  Liebig's 
""Annalen,"  vol  clxxxv.,  pp.  296-323,  where  all  the  points  were  dis- 
cussed that  are  requisite  for  the  recognition  and  characterization  of  both 
alkaloids.  I  do  not,  therefore,  require  to  make  a  further  investigation 
of  these  alkaloids,  but  I  would  suggest  the  carrying  out  of  experiments 
having  for  their  object  the  preparation  of  paricine  from  quinamine. — 
Phar.  your,  and  Trans.,  June  7,  1879. 
VARIETIES. 
Solidago  odora  as  a  "  Tea  "  Plant. — At  the  meeting  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  held  January  21st,  Mr.  Thomas  Meehan  drew  attention 
•to  some  samples  of  dried  leaves  that  had  been  sent  for  identification,  and  which  are 
represented  to  be  in  extensive  use  in  Berks  county,  Pa.,  as  a  beverage  under  the 
name  of  "Blue  Mountain  Tea."  Mr.  Meehan  found  the  leaves  to  belong  to  Soli- 
dago odora.  The  infusion  had  a  light  taste  of  fennel,  by  no  means  disagreeable,  but 
yet  with  little  more  attractions  than  catnip,  or  any  ordinary  "  herb  tea,"  might 
present. 
