Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  "I 
Nov.,  1883.  j" 
Tindura  Lapjpm  Frudus. 
569 
hoi  takes  up  30  to  40  per  cent,  of  resin,  having  a  tolu-like  odor.  W. 
H.  McLaughlin  obtained  two  resins,  one  of  which  was  soluble  in 
ether,  bitter  principle,  gum,  tannin,  fat,  volatile  oil,  sugar,  and  another 
crystalline  principle. — Phar.  Centralhalle,  1883,  No.  19. 
Duhoisia  myoporoides,  R.  Brown. — J.  Moeller  made  the  following 
observations  on  the  leaves ;  they  resemble  willoAV  leaves  in  outline, 
attain  a  length  of  12  cm.  (4|-  inches),  and  width  of  3  cm.  {\\  inch), 
are  short  petiolate,  entire,  the  margin  slightly  revolute,  and  have  a 
prominent  midrib,  the  secondary  veins  diverging  at  nearly  right  angles 
and  forming  slings  near  the  margin.  A  parenchymatic  excrescence 
along  the  upper  side,  upon  the  midrib  is  characteristic  for  the  leaves, 
and  may  be  observed  with  the  naked  eye.  The  upper  epidermis  has 
few  stomata  and  somewhat  smaller,  flatter,  and  more  thick-walled  cells 
than  the  lower  epidermis,  which  contains  numerous  stomata  and 
scattered  clavate  hairs.  On  placing  a  microscopic  section  in  warm 
potassa  solution,  a  large  number  of  acicular  crystals  make  their  appear- 
ance upon  the  lower,  but  not  upon  the  upper  side  of  the  leaf.  The 
crystals  are  soluble  in  water  and  alcohol,  and  make  their  appearance 
after  the  leaf  has  been  kept  for  several  hours  in  water,  but  not  after 
it  has  been  extracted  with  alcohol. — Phar.  Centralhalle,  1883,  No.  20 
Tinctura  Lappae  fructus.^ — In  No.  5  of  the  Ephemeris  a  letter 
by  Dr.  W.  C.  Reiter,  of  Pittsburg,  was  published,  giving  a  detailed 
statement  of  his  experience  with  the  fruit  (often  called  seeds)  of  Lappa 
major,  and  the  manner  of  using  it  in  psoriasis  inveterata.  Dr.  Reiter 
prepared  a  tincture  by  macerating  1  lb.  of  the  ground  fresh  fruit  in  1 
gallon  of  two  years  old  whiskey,  in  a  warm  place,  for  two  weeks ;  of 
the  decanted  or  filtered  tincture  he  gave  from  a  teaspoonful  to  a  table- 
spoonful.    Much  stress  is  laid  on  the  menstruum  to  be  used. 
Having  received  a  prescription  for  the  tincture,  to  be  used  by  a 
patient  suffering  for  many  years  with  the  disease,  I  tried  the  whiskey ; 
but  the  tincture  was  not  a  sightly  preparation.  After  several  experi- 
ments with  menstruums  of  different  strength  I  adopted  the  following 
formula : 
Ground  burdock  fruit.  16  troyounces  • 
Alcohol   3  pints 
Water   1  pint. 
Mix  the  liquids  and  percolate  in  the  usual  way  until  4  pints  of  tinc- 
ture are  obtained. 
The  dose  used  is  a  teaspoonful  3  or  4  times  a  day.  The  remedy 
seems  to  be  effective;  after  several  months'  use,  the  patient's  hands 
and  nails  are  assuming  a  normal  condition. 
Lancaster,  Pa.  Chas.  A.  Heinitsh. 
^  Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  October  16th. 
