VOLATILE  OIL  OP    ERIGERON  PHILADELPHICUM.  105 
water,  and  when  free  from  saline  contamination  should  be  dis- 
solved by  means  of  the  acid  and  filtered.  To  the  solution  add 
the  sugar  in  coarse  powder,  and  make  up  the  measure  by  means 
of  distilled  water  to  twelve  and  a  half  fluid  ounces. 
Syr.  Ferri  et  Calcis  Phosphatis. 
This  preparation  is  made  by  manipulating  exactly  as  in  the 
foregoing  case,  and  adding  to  the  solution  of  the  phosphate  of 
iron  all  of  the  magma  of  phosphate  of  lime  resulting  from  the 
decomposition  of  the  sixty-five  grains  of  chloride  of  calcium  by 
means  of  seven  drachms  of  crystallized  phosphate  of  soda, 
after  it  has  been  well  washed.  There  is  no  more  acid  necessary 
in  this  case  than  the  former,  and  the  preparation  may  be  used 
in  the  same  doses. 
ON  THE  VOLATILE  OIL  OF  ERIGERON  PHILADELPHICUM. 
By  the  Editor. 
In  the  twenty-sixth  volume  of  this  Journal  the  Editor  called 
attention  to  the  volatile  oil  of  Erigeron  Canadense,  a  new  thera- 
peutic agent  brought  into  use  by  the  Eclectic  practitioners,  and 
which  occurs  in  commerce  labelled  "Oil  of  Erigeron,"  the  spe- 
cific name  of  the  plant  not  being  named.  On  a  recent  visit  to 
the  establishment  of  Mr.  Frederick  L.  John,  of  this  city,  he 
called  our  attention  to  a  small  vial  of  the  oil  of  Erigeron  Phila- 
delphicum,  and  expressed  his  doubts  as  to  the  genuineness  of  the 
commercial  oil  of  Erigeron,  owing  to  its  difference  in  odor  and  color 
from  his  specimen.  Mr.  John,  not  being  aware  which  plant  yielded 
the  oil,  took  occasion  last  summer  to  have  collected  a  quantity  of 
the  species  mostly  employed  by  physicians  here,  the  E.  Philadel- 
phicum;  and  in  January  last,  he  submitted  the  dried  herb  to  distil- 
lation with  water,  and  was  not  a  little  surprised  at  its  small  yield. 
He  charged  the  still  with  17  lbs.  of  the  plant,  and  a  due  proportion 
of  water,  and  on  its  exhaustion  returned  the  distilled  water  to 
two  fresh  additions,  thus  treating  forty-five  pounds  of  the  herb, 
from  which  with  his  utmost  care  he  was  able  to  collect  but  half 
a  drachm  of  volatile  oil.  This  he  very  politely  requested  us 
to  accept,  which  we  did,  on  condition  of  giving  a  notice  of  it  here. 
This  oil  has  a  greenish  yellow  color,  powerful,  penetrating,  aro- 
