24  Peru  Balsam  and  Its  A  dulteration     { A jairyPi92im' 
"Inasthma  it  is  said  to  allay  irritation,  tranquillize  the  system,  and  act 
like  a  charm.  In  spasmodic  complaints  of  females ;  in  chronic  hysteria,  and 
other  diseases  attended  with  morbid  irritability  of  the  nervous  system,  it  has 
been  advantageously  employed.  Dr.  Webster,  of  Boston,  has  found  it  ben- 
eficial in  rheumatic  affections  of  the  head,  asthma,  and  chronic  coughs.  He 
says  it  produces  a  pleasant  delirium  and  exhilarating  effects  resembling  the 
nitrous  oxide  gas.  Drj  Gillespie  used  it  in  obstinate  intermittents  success- 
fully, after  other  remedies  had  proved  ineffectual.  He  thinks  it  more 
effectual  than  bark,  arsenic,  or  any  other  remedy  he  has  employed. 
Dose. — Gr.  v  to  vj,  in  pill;  repeat  every  three  or  four  hours.  Dr.  Jack- 
son thinks  a  dose  of  gr.  v  produces  nearly  the  same  effects  as  one  of  gr.  xx." 
■ — Jones  and  Scuddcr's  Materia  Medica. 
After  the  articles  by  Dr.  Jones  the  use  of  web  gained  con- 
stantly in  the  favor  of  many  physicians.  Present-day  literature 
contains  numerous  testimonials  to  its  use  in  the  treatment  of  in- 
termittent fever,  and  in  diseases  of  sudden  appearance,  when  there 
is  a  tendency  to  congestion,  with  cool  clammy  skin,  cool  extremi- 
ties, and  cold  perspiration. 
Among  the  patients  of  the  late  Dr.  L.  A.  Perce,  of  Long 
Beach,  California,  were  many  tourists  afflicted  with  malaria.  Some 
of  these  had  been  to  use  his  words,  "dosed  with  quinine  until  it  had 
lost  its  effect."  For  such  patients  he  states  that  he  employed  tinc- 
ture of  "Tela  Aranese,"  with  gratifying  results. 
Until  comparatively  recently,  as  already  stated,  the  web  was 
administered  in  the  form  of  pills,  instead  of  in  the  alcoholic  pharma- 
ceutical preparation,  "Tela  Araneae,"  of  the  present  day. 
PERU  BALSAM  AND  ITS  ADULTERATION  * 
By  L.  Van  Itallie. 
A  sample  of  Peru  Balsam  was  obtained  for  investigation.  The 
sender  had  found  that  it  fulfilled  the  criteria,  which  I  had  formu- 
lated before  (Pharm.  Weekbl.  1919,  p.  1199),  but  that  it  did  not 
possess  the  proper  odor. 
I  found  the  same  thing,  and  further  that  the  balsam  had  a 
consistency  of  a  thin  syrup ;  whereas,  it  ought  to  be  thicker,  to 
fulfill  the  qualitative  tests.    The  balsam  showed  further,  the  spec. 
*From  Pharmaceutisch  Weekblad,  Nov.  6,  1920. 
Translated  by  Drj  D.  H.  Brauns,  Washington,  D.  C. 
