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.

    75/80 (page 65)
    Phellandrene. It is a curious fact that the eucalyptus oil first introduced into use and medicine, viz., that of /'>'. ami/iidalina, contained phellandrene, and that most of the oil used in Australia at the present time also contains phellandrene, whilst in Europe oils ■with a high percentage of eucalyptol are preferred. According- to Baler and Smith, lli'scarrh on tlic Kuvahijdus, pp. 172-8, much of the oil sent to Europe under the name of J\. ami/t/dalina is derived from /•,'. diirs, or J\. radiata, which yields an oil rich in phellandrene, but not so in eucalyptol; true /•.'. ainij/idalina yielding in the crude oil 22 to 32 per cent, of eucalyptol only. The oils richest in phellandrene are those of K. dices, K. radiata, l\. roriarea, /'.'. Sil),'ria)ia, J!, oreades, K. ]Jelei/atensis, and J'!, (ibliqna (I.e., p. 179). These contain little if any eucalyptol, but contain piperitone, a ketone having the odour of peppermint. This also is present in the oil of A', ann/r/dalina. Thinking it desirable to ascertain how far the value of eucalyptus oil was dependent on phellandrene, a specimen of the pure article, presented by Messrs. Schimmel and Co., was handed to Mr. P. Squire for experiment, but the report obtained from him indicates that it possesses no advantage over eucalyptol. The therapeutic properties of piperitone have, however, not yet been examined. Propolisine. Under this name, a preparation has recently been introduced as an antiseptic. It is stated to be made by the dry distillation of propolis, a bye-product in the bee-keeping industry. It consists chiefly of oxygenated hydrocarbons and an alkaloid not yet thoroughly investigated. Its specific gravity is 0-8986 at 150° C, and its boiling point is 15° C. It is a dark fluid, having an empyreumatic odour; and it is said to be neither poisonous nor corrosive to human beings, and in an undiluted state it rapidly destroys all known bacteria. A 5 per cent, solution is usually found to be sufficiently strong for external application to wounds, and internally the dose is ten drops twice daily. The specimen in the Museum was presented by Mr. W. Poppelreuter of Manchester, from whose pamphlet, giving the properties and use of propolisine in full detail, further information is obtainable. Sansevieria thyrsiflora, Thunb. The fleshy cylindrical rhizome of this plant, about the thickness of the finger, is stated by Mr. J. Jack, who presented it, to be used by the old-fashioned Dutch families at Cape Colony as an efficacious cure for hfcmorrhoids; for a dose, about 1 inch of the rhizome, which remains fresh for weeks, is cut off and chewed. It