AmMi?ch,f895.rm"}  Notes  on  Some  Saps  and  Secretions.  133 
cles  of  the  Materia  Medica.  I  have  prescribed  it  in  a  variety  of 
disorders  in  which  astringents  are  indicated,  and  found  it  peculiarly 
serviceable  in  certain  stages  of  diarrhoea  and  dysentery,  in  passive 
haemorrhage,  as  an  injection  in  leucorrhcea,  gonorrhoea  and  gleet, 
in  scurvy  of  the  gums;  as  a  gargle  when  the  acute  symptoms  have 
subsided,  in  relaxation  of  the  uvula,  in  haemorrhoids;  in  the  form 
of  an  ointment  made  by  dissolving  a  drachm  of  the  gum  in  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  water,  and,  when  intimately  mixed,  rubbing  it  up  with 
an  ounce  of  lard.  The  dose  for  internal  administration  varies  from 
one  or  two  grains  to  twenty,  dissolved  in  water." 
Euphorbia  officinarum,  Lin.,  or  E.  resinifera,  Berg.  The  above,  E^ 
canariensis,  Lin.,  and  some  other  fleshy  species,  produce  the  saline, 
waxy  resin,  called  in  the  shops  "  Gum  Euphorbium,"  which  is  the 
inspissated,  milky  juice  of  these  plants.  It  is  chiefly  obtained  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Mogadore  and  called  "  Dergmuce."  It  is  used  as  a 
vesicant  in  veterinary  medicine,  but  is  seldom  employed  otherwise. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  lower  regions  of  the  Atlas  Range  make  inci- 
sions in  the  branches  of  the  plant,  and,  from  these,  the  milky  sap 
exudes,  which  is  so  acrid  that  it  excoriates  the  fingers  when  applied 
to  them.  This  exuded  juice  hardens  by  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and 
forms  a  whitish-yellow  solid,  which  drops  of!  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember and  forms  the  Euphorbium  of  commerce.  It  causes  consid- 
erable irritation  of  the  nostrils  and  eyes  when  powdered.  E.  Antiqu- 
ormn,  Lin.,  yields  a  hydrocarbon,  gutta-percha-like  substance, 
known  as  "  Cattimandoo,"  which  is  the  Dorf  of  the  Hindus — a 
much-prized  medicine. 
Feronium  elephantinn,  Corr. ;  Cratceva  Valanga,  Kon.  This 
tree  yields  a  brownish  or  reddish  gum  with  a  small  proportion  of 
clear,  yellow  tears,  soluble  in  water.  The  Pharmacopoeia  of  India 
pronounces  it  as  superior  to  gum  arabic  for  medicinal  purposes. 
Ficits  elastica,  Roxburgh  ;  Urostigma  elasticum,  Miqu  To  give 
some  idea  of  the  vastly  increasing  extent  to  which  rubber,  obtained 
from  various  elastic  saps,  is  now  required,  it  may  be  stated  that  the 
British  imports  of  caoutchouc,  in  1893,  were  293,373  cwt., 
and  the  United'  States  import  even  more.  The  combined 
imports  of  India-rubber  and  gutta-percha  into  the  United  Kingdom 
in  1893,  were  about  324,000  cwt.  Great  Britain  also  imports 
about  3,250,000  pounds  of  rubber  manufactures.  At  Wedzell's 
factories,  in  Munden  and  Hildesheim  alone,  there  were  produced, 
a  few  years  ago,  over  100,000  pounds  of  surgical  articles  from  it. 
