The museum report : a descriptive list of the donations for the years 1895-1902.

  • Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The museum report : a descriptive list of the donations for the years 1895-1902. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    71/80 (page 61)
    dnced by allowing the root after collection to heat sli<^htly in heaps and to un(leru,-o a kind of fermentation, the result of whicli appears to be a diminution of bitterness and the development of a brownish colour {Mci/cr, DropHenkinidi', Vol. I., p. 270), but it is not certam if the white gentian root is derived from (/. luteu, a. purpurea, or other species. The white gentian root is, I am informed by Mr. J. Slinger Ward, collected in the Pyrenees. The collection of the root in Italy of late years and its importa- tion from Leghorn have been stopped to a considerable extent on account of the damage done to vineyards by the washing down of the stony deb) in made by the collectors. The drug comes now chiefly from France {Fharm. Jonrn. [4], XV., p. 17-18.) The fat which exists in gentian root to the extent of 5-67 per cent, is stated to be of the nature of cholesterin i.e., a phytos- terin {I'hariu. Jonni. [4], XV., p. 41-2). During the process of fermentation, gentiobiose, a hygroscopic sugar, appears to be formed (/V/rt.io[4], XV., p. 316), and to this the soft- ness of gentian root is probably partly due. Ouarana. This specimen, presented by Dr. S. Wilks, is accompanied by a letter from Mr. G. H. Brandt stating that it has been carved by the Indians into the shape of a fish called the Piraruccu (Arajiaiiiia iiii/as, Cuv.), the tongue of which is used for grating the Guarana. The tongue is also used by them as a file for grating several of their hard odoriferous roots. Among these is the root of the Piperiocca, which, when reduced to powder, they use for washing and perfuming their bodies. The so-called tongue consists of a long bony plate, nearly 6 inches long and IJ inch broad, densely covered with bony pointed papillae, about 1 inch high and half a line broad. See Cnvier and Valeneiennes, Hist. Poiss., XIX., pp. 441-461, with fig. ; A<ia>ixiz and Spi.x, Pise. Braz., p. 31. Hyoscyamus muticus. The seeds of this plant have been shown to be richer in hyoscyamine than H. niffer. In the Kew Bulletin, 1896, p. 155, the seeds are stated to be used in Egypt for criminal poisoning. The natives call the plant Sakran, which means drunken, a name also applied to H. albiis. Dr. Gates, who brought the seeds of this plant from the Soudan, states that the Arabs say that if a drunkard stoops over the plant it cures his drunkenness. The plant has recently been offered in bales in the London market. See Pharm. Jonrn. [4], XVII., p. 159. It is said to be utilised by some manufacturers as a source of hyoscy- amine. It is difficult to grow in this climate, and the imported plant could, therefore, only be used.