THE  AMEBICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
SEPTEMBER,  igij  > 
THE  STONE  CELLS  OF  ACONITE  ROOT. 
By  J.  L.  Stingel. 
The  writer  no  doubt  owes  an  apology  to  the  reader  for  adding 
to  the  already  abundant  literature  on  the  microscopy  of  Aconitum 
Napellus;  though  the  subject  may  appear  practically  exhausted, 
much  can  be  learned  by  the  restudy  of  a  drug  as  it  invariably  re- 
veals many  interesting  and  frequently  valuable  information  from 
the  pharmacognostical  view  point. 
Workers  with  a  limited  amount  of  experience  are  very  apt  to 
become  confused  if  the  elements  do  not  compare  favorably  with 
those  of  an  authentic  sample  or  illustrations  found  in  various  text 
books,  etc. ;  illustrations  are  helpful  in  a  general  way,  but  entire 
dependence  should  not  be  placed  on  them ;  the  main  trouble  seems 
to  be  that  many  investigators  are  inclined  to  think  the  first  few 
elements  found  are  characteristic  (?),  whereas  if  a  number  of 
mounts  of  the  same  or  different  samples  be  examined  it  at  once 
becomes  evident  that  the  term  is  very  misleading ;  it  is  only  after  an 
extensive  and  personal  acquaintance  with  many  samples  and  their 
differences  in  elemental  form  that  one  becomes  able  to  diagnose  a 
drug  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 
What  is  said  of  stone  cells  also  applies  to  other  elements  and 
from  their  condition,  scarcity  or  abundance  may  often  be  learned 
whether  or  not  the  drug  was  gathered  at  the  right  season,  and  to 
a  great  extent  judge  its  quality,  etc. 
Four  authentic  samples  of  powdered  drug  were  used,  the  ele- 
ments usually  found  in  Aconite  were  present,  disregarding  these, 
all  elements  of  a  sclerotic  nature  were  sought  for,  examined, 
measured  and  drawn. 
(39i) 
