Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1909. 
Importation  of  Drugs. 
337 
terated  with  Phytolacca  root.  In  one  instance  the  belladonna  root 
did  not  exceed  12  per  cent,  and  the  content  of  mydriatic  alkaloids 
was  correspondingly  low.  Belladonna  leaf  is  another  drug  simi- 
larly adulterated  and  depreciated  in  value  by  being  mixed  with 
stems,  phytolacca,  scopola,  and  other  foreign  leaves.  Some  impor- 
tations of  hyO'Scyamus  contained  large  admixtures  of  scopola,  stra- 
monium, and  plantago  leaves,  and  other  consignments  of  henbane 
consisted  wholly  of  hyoscyamus  muticus,  the  alkaloidal  value  of 
which  is  seven  to  ten  times  greater  than  henbane  proper,  and  pos- 
sesses different  physiological  properties.  It  can  readily  be  seen 
that  unreliable  and  dangerous  preparations  might  result  when 
manufactured  from  drugs  of  the  above  character.  A  number  of 
importations  were  offered  for  cannabis  indica  under  the  title  "  canna- 
bis Madagascar."  The  purpose  of  this  spurious  product  was  to 
substitute  cannabis  indica  proper.  The  sample  seemed  to  resemble 
the  genuine  drug,  but  no  definite  information  was  available  as  to 
whether  or  not  it  possessed  the  same  therapeutic  properties.  Other 
violations  which  may  be  enumerated  are  as  follows :  aconite,  defi- 
cient in  aconitine ;  digitalis,  of  very  inferior  quality ;  dandelion  root, 
of  poor  quality  and  mixed  with  ground  rock;  kamala,  large  excess 
of  added  sand  and  dirt ;  scopola,  deficient  in  alkaloid ;  coto  bark, 
substituted  by  para  coto  or  false  coto ;  simaruba,  wholly  spurious ; 
matico  leaves,  substituted  by  spurious  products ;  and  in  one  instance, 
maracaibo  supplied  for  cinchona  bark. 
In  some  instances  when  the  importer  or  consignee  was  apprised 
of  the  true  findings  and  violations  of  the  law,  a  desire  would  be 
immediately  expressed  to  have  such  goods  exported  at  once,  for 
the  reason  that  in  placing  the  order  it  was  specified  that  goods  were 
to  be  of  such  quality  as  to  fully  meet  the  requirements  of  the  law. 
Other  importers  would  maintain  that  the  findings  were  incorrect 
because  they  had  handled  similar  products  for  years  without  any 
complaint  and  that  such  goods  had  been  purchased  from  firms  of 
standing  and  reputation.  There  is  no  doubt  that  in  many  cases  the 
sincerity  of  the  dealers  was  genuine,  but  nevertheless  they  had  been, 
according  to  their  own  testimony,  selling  these  spurious  products, 
in  some  instances  for  thirty  years  or  more,  believing  all  this  time 
that  such  articles  were  in  harmony  with  the  representations  made. 
The  saffron  situation  has  presented  some  very  interesting 
features  and  there  is  no  doubt  from  the  evidence  and  findings  that 
this  product  has  been  very  extensively  adulterated  in  various  ways. 
