Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1883 
Gleanwgs  in  Materia  Medica. 
195 
flower  heads  of  red  clover  and  found  2  resins,  fat,  chlorophyll,  glu- 
cose, tannin,  gum,  an  acid  principle,  and  extractive  matter;  the  resin 
soluble  in  ether  dissolved  in  ammonia  with  a  green  color,  and  in 
potassa  with  a  yellow  color.  The  ash  amounted  to  7J  per  cent,  and 
consisted  of  carbonates  and  phosphates  of  magnesium,  potassium,  and 
calcium,  and  of  oxide  of  iron. — P7'oc.  Cal.  Phar.  Soc,  1883,  p.  49. 
Polygonum  Hydropiperoides,  Mich. — An  editorial  in  the  Medical 
News,''  Dec.  9,  1882,  directs  attention  to  this  indigenous  plant, 
of  which  the  late  Dr.  Eberle,  in  his  work  on  Materia  Medica  and 
Therapeutics,  speaks  as  the  most  active  and  certain  of  the  emmena- 
gogues.  He  obtained  his  knowledge  of  it  from  a  country  practitioner, 
who  made  it  the  subject  of  his  thesis  as  a  candidate  for  the  doctorate  at 
the  medical  school  where  Eberle  then  held  the  chair  of  practice.  The 
late  Prof.  M.  B.  Wright,  of  Cincinnati,  held  it  in  equal  estimation,  and 
during  his  long  career  prescribed  it  often  with  success.  It  has  very 
decided  stimulant,  even  vesicating  property,  when  rubbed  into  the 
skin,  whence  its  common  name,  smarticeed.  The  form  most  convenient 
for  its  administration  is  the  fluid  extract,  given  from  5  to  30  min- 
ims, three  or  four  times  a  day;  mixed  with  some  glycerin  or  wine 
it  can  be  readily  taken.  The  activity  of  this  drug  is  due  probably 
to  the  presence  of  polygonic  acid,  which  was  isolated  by  Dr.  C.  J. 
E-ademaker  from  Polygonum  hydropiper,  Lin.  —  (See  Amer.  Jour. 
Phar.  1871,  p.  490.) 
Megarrhiza  calif ornicay  Torrey. — The  root  of  this  cucurbitaceous 
plant  has  been  examined  by  J.  P.  Heaney  (see  "  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,'' 
1876,  p.  451).  The  bitter  glucoside  megarrhizin  seems  to  have  been 
recently  obtained  in  a  much  purer  state  by  Wilfred  M.  Young ;  its 
decomposition  product  now  named  megarrhizein  was  prepared  in  white 
feathery  crystals,  soluble  in  hot  water,  alcohol  and  chloroform,  insoluble 
in  ether  and  cold  water  *  it  is  purgative  in  doses  of  J  grain. 
Young  found  also  a  second  glucoside  megarrhin  which  resembles 
saponin  and  possesses  the  property  of  dilating  the  pupils ;  also  two 
resins,  one  soluble  in  alcohol  the  other  soluble  in  ether. — Proc.  Cal. 
Coll.  Phar.,  1883,  p.  52. 
A  bitter  bark  from  San  Salvador,  of  unknown  origin,  and  for  which 
febrifuge  and  tonic  properties  are  claimed,  has  been  described  by 
Robert  L.  Ball.  It  is  the  inner  bark  and  consists  of  quills  or  curved 
pieces,  3  to  12  inches  long,  |  to  1  or  2  inches  wide  and  2  to  4  lines 
thick,  of  a  blackish-brown  color  externally,  somewhat  lighter  inter- 
