562 
Southern  Prickly  Ash  Bark. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I  November.  1901. 
(2)  The  above  property  is  due  mainly,  if  not  wholly,  to  the  starch  in  solution, 
the  most  desirable  amount  of  starch  in  the  milk  mixture  for  practical  use  is 
approximately  three-fourths  per  cent. 
(3)  Diastase,  by  converting  the  starch  to  dextrine  and  maltose,  promptly 
lessens  and  removes  the  action  of  cereal  waters  upon  casein.  Its  addition, 
therefore,  is  not  a  practical  measure  when  the  action  upon  the  curd  is  desired. 
(4)  Albumen  water  has  no  practical  value  as  a  diluent  of  milk. 
(5)  Lime  water  added  to  milk  has  no  more  effect  than  water  upon  the  char- 
acter of  the  curd  produced  in  the  animal  stomach.— Journal  Boston  Society  oj 
Medical  Science,  December  4,  1900. 
The  following  specimen  tubes  have  been  prepared  in  illustration 
of  these  facts : — 
No.  1.  Plain  cows'  milk,  coagulated  with  HC1. 
No.  2.  Cows'  milk  and  water  (equal  parts),  coagulated  with  HC1. 
No.  3.  Cows'  milk  and  cereal  decoction,  coagulated  with  HC1.  Starch  con- 
verted before  coagulating. 
No.  4.  Cows'  milk  and  cereal  decoction  (equal  parts),  coagulated  with  HC1. 
Starch  converted  after  coagulating. 
No.  5.  Cows'  milk  and  cereal  decoction  (equal  parts),  coagulated  with  HC1. 
Cereal  decoction  made  from  baked  cereal  flour. 
No.  6.  Cows'  milk  and  cereal  decoction  (equal  parts),  coagulated  with  HC1. 
Cereal  decoction  made  from  arrowroot. 
The  curds  in  Nos.  I,  2  and  3  are  seen  to  be  in  tough,  cheesy 
masses,  which  would  prove  difficult  of  digestion  even  in  the  stomach 
of  an  adult. 
The  curds  in  Nos.  4,  5  and  6,  on  the  contrary,  are  seen  to  occur 
in  fine  flocculent  particles  which  would  be  easily  attacked  by  the 
digestive  enzymes. 
The  coagulation  was  accomplished  by  bringing  the  milk  or  milk 
mixture  to  a  temperature  of  ioo°  F.  and  adding  diluted  HCL, 
several  drops  at  a  time,  shaking  after  each  addition,  until  the  total 
acidity  reaches  0-257  per  cent,  which  is  that  of  the  normal  human 
stomach. 
The  cereal  decoctions  were  made  by  boiling  the  cereals  for  five 
minutes  with  water,  regulating  the  amount  so  that  the  finished 
decoction  contained  3  per  cent,  of  starch. 
NOTE  ON  SOUTHERN  PRICKLY  ASH  BARK. 
By  W.  L.  Cufff. 
As  is  well  known  the  Pharmacopoeia  recognizes  two  varieties  ot 
prickly  ash  bark ;  one  being  the  product  of  Xanthoxylum  Ameri- 
canum,  and  the  other  Xanthoxylum  Clava-Herculis,  of  which  the 
