3i8 
Some  Commercial  Cocoas. 
\m.  .Tour.  Pharm. 
June,  1895. 
the  bark  of  the  stem,  the  stem-bark  contains  clusters  of  numerous 
primary  bast  fibres  associated  with  stone  cells,  which  form  an  inter- 
rupted zone  at  the  junction  of  the  middle  with  the  inner  bark. 
Both  primary  bast  fibres  and  stone  cells  are  wholly  wanting  in  the 
root-bark.  The  secondary  bast  fibres  of  the  stem  are  similar  in 
structure  and  arrangement  to  those  of  the  root. 
The  volatile  oil  cells  of  the  stem-bark,  while  they  have  a  distribu- 
tion quite  similar  to  that  in  the  root-bark,  are  very  much  less 
abundant. 
DESCRIPTION  OF  FIGURES. 
Fig.  i. — Transverse  section  of  the  root-bark  of  sassafras  taken  from  a  root 
about  2  inches  in  diameter.  Magnification  about  50  diameters,  a,  cork  ;  b,  b,  by 
volatile  oil  cells  ;  c,  c,  cells  containing  tannic  matters  ;  d,  medullary  ray  ;  e,  ey 
bast  fibres  ;  f,  cambium. 
Fig.  2. — Small  portion  of  longitudinal-tangential  section  of  inner  bark,  a, 
medullary  ray  cell ;  b,  b,  bast  fibres  ;  c,  c,  volatile  oil  cells  ;  d,  d,  cells  contain- 
ing tannic  matters.    Magnification  about  no  diameters. 
Fig.  3. — Starch  of  sassafras  bark.    Magnified  750  diameters. 
Fig.  4. — Small  portion  of  meditullium  of  root.  Magnified  370  diameters. 
a,  a,  pitted  ducts  ;  b,  b,  wood  cells  ;  c,  medullary  ray  cell. 
SOME  COMMERCIAL  COCOAS.— 
By  Florence  Yaple,  Ph.G. 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy.    No.  142. 
The  history  of  cocoa,  as  an  exhilarating  and  agreeable  beverage, 
dates  back  to  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus, 
it  having  been  largely  used  by  the  natives  of  tropical  America  at 
that  time.  Introduced  into  Europe  by  the  above  discoverer,  the 
drink  became  fashionable  among  the  wealthy  classes,  and  it  was  so 
highly  esteemed  by  Linnaeus  that  he  gave  to  the  plants  producing 
this  fruit  the  name  Theobroma,  which  means  food  of  the  gods. 
The  commercial  activities  of  our  time  have  increased  the  produc- 
tion and  thereby  cheapened  the  price  of  the  commodity,  so  that  now 
the  cocoa  preparations  are  largely  consumed  by  all  classes  of  people. 
The  most  popular  of  these  are  the  so-called  chocolates  and  cocoas, 
the  latter  probably  superseding  the  former  for  table  use,  or,  more 
particularly,  in  the  preparation  of  the  beverage. 
