34 
Poisonous  Properties  of  Cassava  Root. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
1      Jan.,  1883. 
of  jalap  from  which  it  is  desired  to  extract  the  resin,  would  deserve 
attention  from  this  point  of  view. 
When  jalap  resin  is  prepared  by  the  Codex  process,  and,  in  follow- 
ing the  mode  of  operation  prescribed,  the  residue  from  the  distillation 
of  the  alcoholic  liquor  is  ])oured  into  boiling  water,  the  resin  precipi- 
tated agglomerates  under  the  form  of  a  thick  turpentine,  which  adheres 
strongly  to  the  sides  of  the  vessel  and  can  only  be  collected  completely 
with  great  difficulty.  I  have  found  that  if,  on  the  contrary,  the  residue 
from  the  distillation  be  poured  into  well-cooled  water,  the  precipitated 
resin  will  remain  on  the  sides  of  the  vessel  in  a  very  divided  form ; 
the  resinous  particles  are  separated  one  from  another  by  drops  of 
water,  and  it  is  very  easy  to  collect  the  product  with  the  aid  of  a 
flexible  spatula.  Upon  placing  all  the  resin  together  in  a  small 
capsule  the  water  gradually  floats  to  the  top  whilst  the  resinous 
particles  agglutinate. 
Finally,  I  have  compared,  in  respect  to  yield,  the  Codex  process, 
which  gives  an  odorous  greenish-brown  resin,  and  M.  Nativelle's 
process,  which  gives  an  inodorous  resin,  as  white  as  starch.  The  fol- 
loAving  are  the  results  I  hav^e  obtained  : 
Codex  process.  Nativelle's  process. 
Resin.    Extract.      Resin.  Extract. 
No.  1,       .  .  .7         11-5         3-0  9-0 
No.  2,  .  .  12-5       33-0         6-0  27-0 
No.  3,        .  .  .     7-5      23-0         3*3  17*0 
This  enormous  diflerence  in  the  yield  of  resin  is  due  to  the  use  of 
65°  alcohol,  as  recommended  by  M.  Nativelle,  which  does  not  dissolve 
all  the  resin  removed  by  90°  alcohol,  as  ordered  in  the  Codex. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  more  aqueous  extract  was  obtained  in 
evaporating  the  products  of  the  macerations  yielded  by  the  Codex 
process  than  in  evaporating  the  products  of  the  decoctions  necessitated 
in  following  the  process  of  M.  Nativelle. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans., 
Nov.  11,  1882;  from  Jour  de  Phar. 
POISONOUS  PROPERTIES  OF  THE  JUICE  OF  THE 
CASSAVA  ROOT. 
The  sweet  cassava  (llanihot  Aipi)  and  the  bitter  cassava  (J/,  utilis- 
sima)  are  very  extensively  grown  in  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America  for  their  edible  tubers,  much  used  as  a  culinary  esculent,  and 
for  the  starch  obtained  by  grating  and  washing,  which  is  converted 
