160  The  Apocynacea  in  Materia  Me  die  a.    { Am3iUh,  m!'m' 
The  anatomical  structure  shows  :  (i)  a  suber  formed  of  cells  with 
white  flattened  walls  ;  (2)  a  parenchyma  of  which  the  cells  are  tan- 
gentially  compressed,  the  walls  colored  and  with  brownish  contents ; 
(3)  a  zone  constituted  of  numerous  white  fibres,  very  long  and  large, 
and  cavities  sometimes  quite  large  and  flattened.  Beneath  this  is 
the  liber  region,  the  color  analogous  to  that  of  the  cortical  paren- 
chyma, but  with  the  medullary  rays.  In  this  tissue  are  the  laticifer- 
ous  canals  filled  with  a  substance  at  times  granular,  at  other  times 
transparent,  little  starch,  some  rhomboids  of  oxalate.  The  bark 
contains  the  same  active  principles  as  the  seeds  and  pseudoin- 
dican.  It  is  employed  as  an  anti-periodic,  febrifuge  and  purgative. 
Shortt  and  Bidie  employed  it  in  remittent  fever  with  satisfactory 
results:  a  tincture  (1  part  to  5  of  rectified  spirit)  in  doses  of  15  to 
18  drops  during  the  interval  of  the  attack  is  recommended. 
BARKS  OF  THE  PLUMERIAS. 
This  genus  is  represented  by  tropical  trees  or  shubs,  frequently 
cultivated  as  ornamental  plants.  The  medical  properties  are  due  to 
the  latex,  frequently  drastic  and  corrosive.  The  barks  of  several 
species  are  employed.  The  Plumeria  alba  L.,  a  native  of  the  Island 
Sante  Croix,  now  found  in  all  the  warm  regions  of  the  Antilles, 
India,  the  Mascarene  Islands,  etc.,  is  known  under  the  French 
names  Frangipanier  blanc,  Bois  de  lait,  and  the  English  Jasmine-tree. 
It  is  the  Topaiba  of  the  Spanish,  and  in  India  is  called  Arali.  It 
attains  a  height  of  5  to  6  m.,  and  bears  alternate  leaves  and 
handsome  odorous  flowers.  It  contains  an  abundance  of  a  white 
poisonous  juice. 
The  bark  of  this  species  in  commerce  is  separated  from  the 
wood  and  is  in  very  irregular  strips  ordinarily  curved,  rolled  up 
or  shrivelled,  the  length  ranging  from  10  to  12  cm.  These 
strips  are  constituted  of  an  external  envelope,  papyraceous, 
cartilaginous,  and  an  internal  region  tougher  and  thicker :  these 
two  parts  are  frequently  united,  but  more  often,  however,  detached 
from  each  other.  The  external  layer  is  parchment-like,  ranging  in 
color,  reddish  brown,  more  or  less  glossy,  or  yellow  marked  with 
lichens,  showing  a  few  whitish  streaks  and  black  points,  and  the 
leaf  scars. 
The  internal  layer  attains  in  old  barks  3  m.m.,  and  the  inter- 
nal face  more  smooth  and  dark  in  young  barks,  is  brown  and 
