300 
ON  CASSIA  MARILANDICA. 
When  the  magma  has  drained  for  a  few  minutes,  it  is  in  a  good 
condition  for  solution.  If  the  water  be  wrung  or  pressed  from 
it,  it  is  liable,  in  a  few  minutes  even,  to  contract  greatly,  and 
become  glutinous  and  difficult  to  manage  without  loss,  by  parting 
suddenly  with  much  of  its  water  of  hydration. 
Citrate  of  Iron  and  Quinia. 
When  the  solution  of  citrate  of  iron  from  the  first  and  second 
formulae  has  passed  the  filter,  the  magma  of  quinia  from  the 
third  formula  should  be  added  to  it,  and  dissolved  by  a  few 
minutes  stirring  in  the  cold.  The  solution  is  then  to  be  poured 
upon  plates  and  allowed  to  dry  slowly,  being  well  protected  from 
dust. 
The  drying  thus  requires  six  days,  if  in  moderately  thick 
lamina,  and  yields  a  brilliant  red  granular  salt  of  a  crystalline 
appearance. 
The  yield  will  be  495  grains  of  dry  salt,  constituted  as  follows  : 
Peroxide  of  iron,        131  grains,  or  26.46  per  cent. 
Quinia,  58       «         11.72  « 
Citric  acid,  271       «        54.74  « 
Water,  35       «  7.07  « 
It  is  better  to  add  the  magma  to  the  solution  of  citrate  of 
iron  cold,  as  the  quinia  is  thus  more  easily  and  quickly  dissolved. 
If  the  solution  is  warmed,  the  quinia  magma  contracts  and 
becomes  sticky,  requiring  much  more  time  and  stirring  to  effect 
the  solution. 
U-.  S.  Naval  Laboratory,  New  York,  May  7  th,  1355. 
REMARKS  ON  CASSIA  MARILANDICA. 
By  Elliston  L.  Perot. 
(Extracted  from  an  Inaugural  Essay  presented  to  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy.) 
[The  first  part  of  this  Essay,  having  reference  to  the  botanical  and  chemi' 
cal  characters  of  the  plant,  is  omitted,  as  nothing  new  was  elicited  beyond 
the  results  of  J.  J.  Martin,  published  in  vol.  vii.  of  this  Journal.  Mr.  Perot 
isolated  a  deliquescent  substance  by  the  process  for  cathartin,  and  by  re- 
peated distillation  obtained  a  small  portion  of  volatile  oil  from  the  leaves.  The 
latter  part  of  the  Essay,  in  reference  to  the  therapeutical  value  of  this  plant, 
is  published  entire,  because  it  appears  to  be  at  variance  with  the  received 
opinions  of  American  medical  writers.    We  hope  the  subject  will  attract 
