give the filler three days to dry, then give the work three coats of orange shellac. Sandpaper the first two coats lightly with No. O sandpaper, rub down the last coat with powdered pumice stone and water and polish with rotten stone and raw oil. Be sure to burn your oiled rags, especially the one with which you first oiled the counter. I have known rags wet with oil, turpentine and japan to take fire from spontaneous combustion in less than twelve hours after being laid aside.

What is Mandrake? (171)—“I would like a clear definition of mandrake. I find that the Dispensatory gives it as a synonym of podophyllum, while Remington's Pharmacy says it is mandagora officinalis. The two drugs have entirely different properties, and I would like to know which to dispense for mandrake." The word mandrake is used as a synonym for arum maculatum, podophyllum peltatum, tamus communis, mandragora officinarum, bryonia dioica, gladiolus palustris and circœa lutetiana. The word comes from the ancient Greek name mandragora. Thus, you see that the word mandrake is applied to several different drugs. It is very likely that the Arkansas customer would expect to receive podophyllum when calling for mandrake. This is a good example of the confusion caused by synonyms. It is to be hoped that every educated pharmacist and physician will discourage the use of all but scientific and the plain English names of drugs.

To Prevent Potatoes From Rotting (172).— Consul Hughes sends the following from Coburg, October 23, 1899: A simple method of preventing rot and other diseased conditions of winter seed potatoes is in use by the peasants of Thuringia. Those potatoes that rot easily in the cellar in winter are made better able to resist diseased conditions and cold by being laid in a sunny place, as far apart from each other as possible. They are turned over morning and night until they become thoroughly green, and are then placed in the cellar for the winter. Potatoes treated in this manner do not rot and can withstand a great amount of cold without freezing. Early potatoes thus treated do not sprout in the cellar, and so retain their full strength. In February, the potatoes are taken from the cellar and put in a partially warmed room until planting time. When planted, they will sprout stronger and quicker than potatoes not so treated, and the crop will be larger and better.

Easy Method of Mounting and Preserving Mosquitoes (173).—Mr. D. C. Rice describes the following method adopted in the London School of Tropical Medicine for mounting mosquitoes. All that is required are slides, round cover-glasses, glass rings about 1-16 to 1-12 inch deep and inch in diameter and xylol Canada balsam. Kill the mosquito by placing in an ordinary killing bottle, or, if this is not available, a little chloroform or tobacco smoke will do as well; when dead, turn it over on its back, separate the legs if they are together, place a large drop of thick xylol Canada balsam on a slide, invert this gently onto the mosquito, and in this way it is picked!

up without any chance of injury; then with a fine needle spread out and arrange the wings and legs and, if necessary, press down the thorax very carefully. Next pour on some xylol Canada balsam; as this runs out it straightens the proboscis and antennæ, and they do not, as a rule, have to be touched. Put the specimen on one side to harden, and then chip off excess of Canada balsam, place the glass ring on and fill up the chamber that is thus formed with Canada balsam. The upper surface of the Canada balsam should be convex, so that when the cover-glass is applied no air bubbles are included.

Schleich's New Anæsthetic Method (174).—After making various mixtures of the different anæsthetics, Schleich concluded that it is possible to change the boiling point to the desired degree, and that the mixture will continue to boil without decomposition as long as its temperature is not considerably higher than its determined boiling point. Mixtures of ethers, the boiling point of which closely approaches the temperature of the body, absorbed during respiration will boil when expired with the air in the lungs. It is possible to mix ethers having different boiling points in various proportions, and thus obtain a desired boiling point; and further regulate it according to the proportion of each used. After various experiments upon animals, Schleich succeeded in preparing the three following mixtures, which constitute the new method:

Mixture I (Boiling Point, 38° C).

Chloroform..
Petroleum ether....
Sulphuric ether..

45 parts.

15 parts.

180 parts.

Pharmacy as a Profession.-Some contend that medicine is far in advance of pharmacy as a profession. It is pharmacy, however, which has outstripped all sister professions in the multiplication of degrees. A college of pharmacy announcement just at hand, says: "Five courses are offered-namely, the Ph. G. course, the Ph. C. course, the Ph. M. course, the Ph. D. course, the B. Sc. course."

These courses lead, respectively, to the degrees graduate in pharmacy, pharmaceutical chemist, master of pharmacy, doctor of pharmacy, and bachelor of science (in chemistry). All the courses are thorough, logical, comprehensive and practical.

The Oldest Member of the medical profession in England, Dr. Swinson by name (Philadelphia Medical Journal), who, though qualified, had never practiced, because of his delicate health, died on New Year's Day, a few weeks before completing the hundredth year of his age.

NOTES ON PHARMACOGNOSY.

BY OTTO A. WALL, M. D., PH. G.

[Copyrighted.]

[Continued from page 270.]

A brownish color indicates that the drug has been exposed to light or is old, the probability being that in either case it has deteriorated. It should have a grayish-green color, not brownish-green, and the odor should be strong.

In the illustrations a, b, c, d show the flower-heads of Artemisia Vahliana, whole, in longitudinal section, one scale and one floret; e and show the flower-heads of A. pauciflora (A. maritima; A. Cina) whole, and one scale showing glands, which are orange-colored, all much enlarged.

Authors differ in regard to the exact source of this drug, and it is probable that the plant may vary under various circumstances, so that the drug may also vary somewhat according to soil, etc. Some authors claim that Santonica is derived from several varieties of Artemisia.

GROUP LIII.

EXPANDED COMPOUND FLOWER-HEADS.

The nature of compound flower-heads was described under the last group; the group we are now considering includes the expanded compound flowerheads. Occasionally, but rarely, the flowering tops of Matricaria are used instead of the flower-heads alone, and not infrequently the flower-heads alone of Tanacetum occur in the trade, instead of the flowering tops, which were already described in Group IX. In order to properly examine the drugs of this group, the flower-heads may be soaked in water when they will resume the shape and size of the freshlyflowering inflorescence, and the details of their structure can then be more readily compared with the descriptions and illustrations. Heads about 3 cm. broad, with scaly involucre, flat receptacle, about 15 to 20 yellow ray-florets and many disk-florets with pappus.. Sub-globular heads, about 2 cm. broad, with imbricate involucre, conical solid receptacle, numerous white ligulate florets and few disk-florets.. Anthemis. Heads about 2 cm. broad, with imbri

cate involucre, conical hollow receptacle, 12 to 18 white ray-florets

Arnicæ Flores.

c.

with tubular part of corolla about 4 mm. long, from which the bifid stigma protrudes, the ligule about 4 to 5 mm. broad, 9-nerved and 3-toothed; the disk-florets are perfect (hermaphrodite), about 2 cm. long, with 5-toothed tubular corolla from which the anther-tube and bifid stigma protrude; in both ray and disk florets, the 4 mm. long ovary (or partially formed fruit, an achene) is surmounted with a hairy pappus; odor feebly aromatic and taste bitter and acrid. c. Volatile oil, arnicin (nature not determined), resin, tannin, etc. U. Mainly used externally as a vulnerary lotion or dressing; sometimes used internally as a stimulant. Dose: 0.5 to 1 gram, in tincture. The illustrations show the involucre, ray-floret, disk-floret and pappus hair all in natural size. The drug should be gathered before the fruit commences to develop, as the drug is apt afterwards to contain the larvæ of an insect (Trypeta) in the involucre and the more plentiful pappus. The ray-florets should therefore be bright-yellow, not withered and brown, and the drug should not have a gray and hairy appearance from pappus. It is recommended by some authorities that the involucre should always be rejected, because that part of the drug is most apt to contain the insects which are the probable cause of the irritation or urticaria sometimes produced by preparations of this drug.

In the wild-growing variety of this plant the flower-heads have only about fifteen ray-florets and many disk-florets; through cultivation the flowerhead has become "double", that is, most of the diskflorets have become changed to ray-florets; the cultivated variety is less disagreeable to the taste than the wild-growing.

The illustration shows a fresh flower-head of the cultivated variety in natural size, but in the drug the ligules are shrunken and doubled over the head so that it looks much smaller; the vertical section of the single or wild flower-head, one ray and one disk floret, stigma and fruit are shown considerably enlarged.

Cotula, the flower-heads or the flowering tops of Anthemis Cotula, May weed, Wild Chamomile or Dog Chamomile (a common weed), are used for the same purposes as Anthemis nobilis; the taste and odor of Cotula are so disagreeable, however, that it is not a popular drug and is used only when other chamomile cannot be had. The flower-heads of Anthemis Cotula are single, not double.

Matricaria.

N. Chamomile, German Chamomile; this is the drug that is wanted when Germans ask for "chamomile". o. The flower-heads (or sometimes the flowering tops) of Matricaria Chamomilla; Compositæ. H. Europe. - D. Heads about 2 cm. broad, with flat imbricate involucre, conical, hollow, naked receptacle, 12 to 15 female ray-florets about 8 mm. long, with white ligulate, 3-toothed corolla, and numerous perfect (hermaphrodite) tubular disk-florets with yellow, 5-toothed corolla; odor peculiar, somewhat disagreeable and nauseous, taste bitter aromatic. c. Minute quantity of volatile oil, bitter extractive, tannin, etc. U. Same as those of the previous drug, Anthemis.

The illustrations show a portion of the flowering top with three flower-heads in natural size (fresh); the involucre with receptacle (d), vertical section of same (e), ray-floret (b) and disk-floret (c) all enlarged.

The flower-heads of several varieties of Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum) are imported, but they reach the retail pharmacist only in the shape of "Persian Insect Powder". These flower-heads resemble in shape those of Anthemis, but the involucres are usually marked with red to brown markings, and the rayflorets are pinkish to reddish. The drug is of no particular interest in its whole condition to the pharmacist.

Tanacetum, the flowering tops (or occasionally the flower-heads) of Tanacetum vulgare, has already been described and figured under Group IX, but as the drug sometimes consists of the flower-heads alone it is also mentioned here.

Rub the permanganate of potassium with the chloride of sodium, then add the sulphate of zinc and alum.

Directions: Dissolve one tablespoonful in a pint of water and use as an injection night and morning.

Cleaning Straw Hats (41).—First, wash the straw material to be cleaned with luke warm water, to which a small quantity of water of ammonia has been added (this is to remove excessive dirt); then brush over briskly a solution of chlorinated soda, and finish by going over with a solution of oxalic acid. In cleaning straw goods, excessive wetting of the material should be avoided.

To Preserve Cider (42).-How can we preserve cider without removing it from the barrel ? Add to each barrel

Bisulphite of Lime......

....I av. pound. The lime salt should be first mixed with about a gallon of the cider, then poured into the barrel and the whole thoroughly agitated. The barrel should then be bunged and allowed to stand for several days until the action of the sulphite is exerted.

Non-Poisonous Cockroach and Water Bug Exterminator (43).-We want something which will kill and keep away insects. We have used bichloride of mercury, which does very well for a while, but it does not last and, of course, is dangerous to use. The following will answer:

Digest the soap in four fluid ounces of water with gentle heat; when solution is effected, add the potassium carbonate and glycerin; dissolve the oils in the alcohol and add to the soap solution, and when a prefect solution has taken place, filter through paper.

A Coloring for Ice Cream (44).—"Turmeric gives a greenish-yellow color and I want a golden yellow. Can you help me out?"

Colors in powder which are soluble in hot water, also these same colors in the liquid state, are obtainable in the market, known as colors for confectionery, extracts, syrups, foods, etc., which are non-poisonous, and the use of these colors is permissible under the existing pure food laws. These colors consist of many shades. The yellow shades are: Dark, straw, canary and lemon. This latter shade would seem the proper one to employ in coloring ice cream. Fritzsche Bros., New York City, and M. L. Barrett & Co., Chicago, carry a line of these goods.

To Disguise the Odor of Coal Oil (45).—"A barber of this place is putting up what he calls 'a dandruff cure.' He uses coal oil as a body and wants

to disguise the odor of the oil. Can it be done, and how would you do it? What would you use for coloring the hair preparation?"

Perfume with a mixture consisting of—