ON AN ARTICLE PURPORTING TO BE JALAP. 
293 
different individuals, in doses of fifteen to twenty grains, with 
out obtaining any effect whatever. 
Proving thus destitute of purgative qualities, your Com- 
mittee pronounce it a worthless article, to be guarded against; 
and impressed with the advantages of making publicly known 
all falsifications and impure remedies, they entertain the hope 
that this exposition will be extended sufficiently wide to pre- 
clude the possibility of deception being practised upon mem* 
bers of our profession. 
Augustine Duhamel, 
Charles Ellis, 
John H. Ecky. 
January 2, 1843, 
NOTE TO THE REPORT ON FALSE JALAP. 
Since the Report, as above drawn up, was submitted, the 
November number of the Journal de Chimie Medicate, con- 
taining a " Notice by M. Guibourt on a False Jalap," has 
come to hand. This adulteration was furnished to M. G. by 
a druggist, who found it mixed with jalap coming in bales 
from Mexico. From his description of it, it would seem to 
bear a strong analogy with the article to which allusion is 
made above. 
It is styled by him rose scented jalap, from a supposed re- 
semblance to the odor of roses when respired. He considers 
it a Convolvulus, and places it intermediate between the true 
jalap and the sweet potatoe. 
With the view to determine its worth, an analysis of it was 
undertaken by M. G. Being at the same time embarrassed 
by the discordant results of the different analyses made of 
officinal jalap, and suspecting the presence of sugar in it, he 
iustituted similar experiments at the same time upon that sub- 
