PART II. MATERIA MEDICA AND PHARMACY. Investigation of Sarsaparilla. W. v. Schulz. (Brit. Med. Journ., No. 1640; Chemist and Druggist, May 14th, 1892.) The author has isolated from sarsaparilla root a third glucoside, "sarsasaponin," C22 H36 010, which along with Flückiger's parillin, C26 H44 010 and Dragendorff's sarsaparillsaponin (smilacin), C20 H32 010, forms a series of homologous compounds of the general formula C, H2-8 010. On boiling with dilute acids, all these glucosides split up into sarsasapogenin or parigenin and one or more molecules of sugar. Pharmacologically considered, the three glucosides of sarsaparilla belong to the group of sapotoxin. They do not seem to be readily absorbed into the system so long as the intestines are in a normal and healthy condition, but their action appears to depend upon the production of nausea and motions of the bowels. Subcutaneous injections of any of the three substances caused large purulent abscesses, sarsasaponin apparently possessing the most intense action when introduced into the blood, and only requiring 50 milligrams per kilo. of body-weight as a lethal dose for cats and dogs. Parillin is next in activity, with 120-150 milligrams for the lethal dose, whilst sarsaparillsaponin was found to require a dose of 165-230 milligrams. The three saponins act as cardiac muscle and nerve poisons in intravenal injections, and cause hæmoglobinuria even in small doses. True and False Pareira. F. A. Ringer and E. Brooke. (Pharm. Journ., 3rd series, xxii. 703.) The authors have examined a sample of a substitute of pareira, received by them from Mr. E. M. Holmes, which has recently come into the market in large quantities, its botanical origin being unknown. They noticed that while the genuine root cut like very hard wax, the spurious one when cut crumbled into pieces. The powder of the true Pareira Brava was much lighter in colour but heavier in weight than the substitute. The results of their chemical examination are summed up as follows:-The substitute contains much less ash, less mucilage, less alkaloid, a much smaller proportion of fats and fatty acids, a small quantity of an acid resin, no starch, and affords a much smaller quantity of extractive matter. The Microscopical Characters of a Spurious Pareira Brava from Bahia. W. M. Holmes. (Pharm. Journ., 3rd series, xxii. 829831.) At the request of Mr. E. M. Holmes the author has examined the microscopical characters of a spurious variety of Pareira Brava from Bahia, which entered into commerce about the end of 1890. A chemical examination of the same drug forms the subject of the preceding abstract. It consists of pieces of both stem and root, the microscopical characters of which are described as follows: Stem. As seen in transverse section the stem has a small but well-marked medulla, composed of round and oval cells somewhat smaller than the medullary cells of a stem of the same size of the chondodendron. Some of these cells contain starch granules and others numerous small crystals (apparently octahedral and probably calcium oxalate). Scattered throughout the medulla are numerous groups of sclerenchymatous cells with evident canaliculi, and with the central cavity almost obliterated. The layers of thickening are very distinct. There is not the same gradual transition of the cells of the medulla into the medullary rays that obtains in chondodendron. Immediately surrounding the medulla is an almost continuous zone of thickened cells, the cavities of which are blackened by treatment with iodine. These cells are more numerous at the apex of each of the wedge-like woody bundles. The medullary rays are narrow, composed of tabular cells elongated in a radial direction, which dividing at the end and meeting a corresponding division from the next ray overlap the bases of the woody wedges in the same manner as in true pareira. The wedge-shaped woody bundles in the zone immediately outside the medulla are much shorter than in chondodendron, and the succeeding zones are arranged much more uniformly. They are composed of thickened wood cells and are perforated by numerous large vessels, the cavities of which are frequently filled by secondary growths. Outside the first zone of woody bundles there is a layer of sclerenchyma composed of polygonal cells with numerous and well-marked canaliculi. This is broken at intervals by crescent-shaped patches of thickened prosenchyma (bast), which are more conspicuous than the similar |