310      ON  THE  PRESERVATION  OF  DRUGS  AGAINST  INSECTS. 
to  its  easy  penetrativeness  into  the  pores  of  organic  substances 
by  which  its  ultimate  volatilization,  without  the  employment  of 
heat,  is  greatly  impeded,  and  often  rendered  a  matter  of  difficulty. 
Orris  root  is  one  of  those  substances  which  are  very  often  at- 
tacked by  bugs,  particularly  the  powder,  and  this  liability  in- 
creases with  the  dampness  of  the  article.  If  powdered  orris 
is  thoroughly  dried  and  put  in  well  stopped  bottles,  so  as  to 
prevent  its  contact  with  the  atmosphere  as  much  as  possible,  it 
usually  keeps  well  for  a  considerable  time  ;  but  I  have  never 
found  it  to  be  attacked  by  bugs  when  a  small  quantity  of  sulphu- 
ric ether  had  been  thrown  into  the  bottle.  I  was  led  to- the 
adoption  of  this  precaution  with  orris  root  of  rather  suspicious 
inclination  to  mustiness  and  bugs,  by  having  freed  several  sam- 
ples of  powdered  orris  from  bugs  after  their  having  taken  quarters 
therein,  simply  b}^  mixing  some  ether  with  the  powder  and 
enclosing  it  in  tight  bottles :  the  ethereal  atmosphere  killed  the 
bugs  and  prevented  their  reappearance.  In  the  same  way  castor 
was  freed  of  numerous  insects,  which  likewise  did  not  renew 
their  attack. 
It  may  be  considered  a  matter  of  importance  to  try  the  effect 
of  ether  on  the  mites,  the  larvse  and  bugs,  which  often  make 
such  a  havoc  with  cantharides,  the  powdered  as  well  as  the  whole 
insects.  Though  I  cannot  speak  from  experience,  not  having 
had  occasion  for  such  a  trial,  I  little  doubt  the  efficacy  of  ether, 
also  in  this  instance.  Chloroform  probably  might  be  of  the  same 
efficiency. 
It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here,  to  mention  an  attack  of  insects 
upon  valerian  root ;  I  have  never  seen  an  account  of  its  being 
subject  to  such,  and  always  thought  the  highly  penetrating 
odor  of  the  root  a  sufficient  safeguard ;  from  late  experience, 
however,  this  does  not  appear  to  be  always  the  case.  The  cause 
of  this  attack  I  am  unable  to  divine  ;  I  can  only  state,  that  all 
requirements  for  the  safe  keeping  of  the  root  had  been  faithfully 
complied  with  :  it  was  clean  and  dry  when  stored  away,  and  was 
kept  in  a  well  closed  tin  can,  in  a  dry  and  ventilated  wareroom. 
The  larvae  of  bugs  had  eaten  through  the  thicker  pieces  of  the 
root,  so  that  on  being  broken,  they  crumbled  into  pieces,  ex- 
hibiting in  the  passages  the  remains  of  chrysalides,  small  bugs 
and  white  wormy  larvae.  The  root  was  on  hand  about  two  years, 
and  possessed  the  odor  and  taste  of  valerian  in  a  high  degree. 
