that gentleman had sent for examination; and into a third mortar would be put mercury and common unprepared lard in the same proportions. The trituration should be simultaneously commenced in the usual way, and the meeting would have an opportunity of observing the result. The ingredients being weighed in the proportions of one part of lard and thirty-two parts of mercury, it was found that in four minutes the lard prepared in the manner described by Mr. Redwood had combined with the whole of the mercury; while little, if any, combination had been effected with the common lard; and in the case of the lard sent by Mr. Walton, although the effect was greater than with the common lard, yet a large portion of the mercury remained uncombined, even after the expiration of fifteen minutes, during which the friction was continued. It was now proposed that the mercury which remained uncombined with the common lard should be added to the mortar in which the combination had been completed, thus making the proportion of mercury in this case double, or sixty-four parts of mercury to one of lard prepared by the cold water process: the friction was continued, and in a very few minutes the combination was effected with this additional quantity of mercury. Mr. Pedler thought the lard, during the process of preparation, acquired a firmer consistence, and that the increased facility experienced in effecting its combination with the mercury arose from this circumstance. He was decidedly of opinion that the combination was merely a mechanical one. Professor Clark suggested, that probably a small quantity of water might be present in the lard prepared in the manner mentioned by Mr. Redwood, and that this might have some influence on the result. He thought the mechanical influence of increased tenacity in the lard, would, in some measure, account for the advantage which the prepared lard appeared to possess. He considered it evident that in the preparations of mercury under consideration, the metal was not in the state of protoxide, which may be proved by testing it with hydrocyanic acid. Mr. Semple thought it might be inferred from analogy, that the metal was in a state of oxide, as it was well known that in the metallic state mercury may be taken in any quantities without any result, beyond that of mechanical action, and that other metals were equally inert, unless in a state of chemical combi nation. The time for adjourning the meeting having arrived, the Chairman announced, that Dr. Pereira would deliver a Lecture on recent Researches on the Nutritive Properties of Food, on the 27th instant. The Lecture will be published in our next Number.-ED. DONATIONS TO THE LIBRARY. James's Pharmacopoeia Universalis Presented by Mr. THOMAS BENSON 1752 :{" 1831 Jourdan's Pharmacopeia Universalis, by Rennie, Monographie du Madi cultivé ou Madia sativa M.V. PASQUIER (Liege) 1838, and part of 1840, 1765 Mr. FRANK TRIGGS Brooke's General Dispensatory Fourcroy's Elements of Natural History 1810. SIR ALEX. CRICHTON, 1842 M.D. Mr. WM. WILKINSON, 1790} Strand) THE MUSEUM. Glass cases and jars being now ready for the reception of Specimens, we hope to have a list of donations for publication next month. THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. At the late Meeting of this Association, a collection of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Specimens, amounting to about 400, arranged by Mr. Gilbert, was exhibited at the Chemical Section. Some of them had been sent from Germany by Dr. Merck, of Darmstadt, and presented to the Institution:-others were furnished by several Members of the Pharmaceutical Society. We believe that no other efforts were made for the introduction of the subject of Pharmacy at the Meetings of the Association, but we may consider this beginning to be a favourable indication. Dr. Liebig's work on Animal Chemistry, which was written for the purpose of presentation to the Association, was one of the most important and interesting contributions. It is reviewed in another part of this number. MEDICINAL PLANTS, WHICH SHOULD BE COLLECTED IN AUGUST, ARRANGED IN THE NATURAL ORDERS. RANUNCULACEÆ. Clematis vitalba. Common Traveller's Joy. A shrub found in hedges, on a calcareous soil, occasionally employed as a rubefacient in the treatment of rheumatism in domestic practice. Ranunculus flammula, Lesser Spearwort Crowfoot, and R. sceleratus, Water Crowfoot. Both marsh plants, may be still gathered in this month. The former is distinguished from R. gramineus, Grassy Crowfoot, by the root consisting of long simple fibres, devoid of tubers, and the leaves being lanceolate, neither linear nor ribbed. UMBELLIFERE.-Eryngium campestre. Field Eryngo. Not very common-found on waste ground near the sea. It is an indifferent tonic. The root is sold in the candied state. Archangelica officinalis. Officinal Angelica, is not uncommon in moist and watery places. It is distinguished from A. sylvestris, Field Angelica, by the aromatic, pungent, resinous nature of its root, the striated surface of its stem, the ternate, tripinnate form of its leaves, the leaflets being partly decurrent, the odd one deeply three-lobed, and the whole free from down. The root, which is generally candied, is less bitter, and more aromatic, than that of wild Angelica. As an expectorant it is of little value. It may be gathered from June to September. Peucedanum officinale, Hog's Fennel, is occasionally found in salt marshes, and is gathered by the common people, who consider its juice diuretic and anti-spasmodic; but it possesses poisonous properties, and is consequently hazardous in their hands. Conium maculatum, Common Hemlock, may be collected, for the sake of its seeds, until the middle of September. BERBERACEE. Berberis vulgaris. Common Barberry. Although this shrub flowers in June, yet its fruit is not ripe until the middle of August, when it should be collected. When prepared as a conserve, it forms, with water, an agreeable and refreshing beverage in fevers. CUCURBITACEE.-Bryonia dioica. Red-berried Bryony, very common in hedges and thickets. The berries, which are now ripe, are small, scarlet, juicy, and foetid when bruised. The root is acrid and purgative, and although not officinal, yet has better claims to be received into the Pharmacopoeia than many roots contained in it. Momordica Elaterium. VOL. II. Squirting Cucumber. G Although this is an exotic, yet we have placed it among the plants to be gathered this month, in order to state our opinions respecting the proper time of taking the fruit, which is in general gathered too soon, from the dread that it may separate from the stem and the juice be lost. The proper time is immediately after the first pepo has been thrown off from its footstalk. In procuring the juice for the purpose of obtaining the elaterium, no pressure should be employed; for it is that only which surrounds the seeds that possesses the active principle of the preparation. LINACEA,-Linum catharticum. Purging Flax, is found in dry pastures. It is a smaller plant than L. usitatissimum, the leaves are in pairs, upright, obtuse, and bright green; the flowers in a forked panicle, white, and pendulous before expansion, and the petals acute and entire. The plant is now contained only in the Edinburgh and the Dublin Pharmacopoeias. It is a certain and active cathartic, operating chiefly on the internal exhalants. MALVACEA. Malva sylvestris. Common Mallow. Under hedges and in waste ground. It is readily recognized by the leaves, which are of a deep green colour, soft and downy, serrated, plaited; the lower ones with seven acute lobes, the upper with fewer, but deeper and more acute than the lower. The flowers are numerous, of a shining pale purple colour, and veined. Althea officinalis. Marsh Mallow. The root, which is tapshaped and rather woody, is now in the best condition for yielding the mucilage, which is its medicinal principle. LYTHRACE.-Lythrum salicaria. Spiked purple Loosetrife, common in damp places and about the margins of ponds and ditches. In dry situations it loses its smoothness and dark green colour, and acquires a downy and even hairy character, and is less in height than in damp places. It is a good astringent. RIAMNACEA.-Rhamnus catharticus. Buckthorn. Found in woods and hedges. The fruit is a powerful, hydragoguecathartic, but it operates with too much violence to be frequently employed. The unripe berries dye yellow. EUPHORBIACE.-Euphorbia lathyris. Caper Spurge. Found occasionally in dry woody thickets. Sir J. E. Smith imagines that it is probably a naturalized plant. It is a biennial-flowers in June and July, and continues flowering in this month. The plant rises about 3 to 4 feet high, the stem is strong, smooth, round, and glaucous, the leaves dark, glaucous-green, sessile, linear, oblong, somewhat coriaceous, bracts cordate, entire, tapering. capsule is tricoccous, the seeds are obovate, truncated at the base, rough and brown. They contain an acrid purgative principle, which can be expressed along with a bland oil which they also contain; and, were the plant abundant, the expressed oil might The serve all the purposes of castor oil. It was ordered in the "capitalaries" of Charlemagne, to be grown in every garden, and as it grows readily, it might now be cultivated with advantage. All the Euphorbias yield the same acrid principle as the officinal species, and Euphorbium might be procured from them. The indigenous species which are now in a condition fit to be gathered, are E. peplis, found on the sea coast in the south-west of England; E. peplus, a common weed in all cultivated grounds; E. helioscopia, also a common weed; E. cyparissias, found in thickets and barren places; E. esula, occasionally found in shady woods; E. paralia, on the sea coast, but not very common. RUTACEE.-Ruta graveolens. Common Rue. In gathering it, the panicle, with the ripening fruit, should be collected along with the leaves. ROSACEA.-Potentilla tormentilla, Tormentil, may be still gathered, and also Avens, Geum urbanum and Agrimony, Agrimonia eupatorium. The bark of the root of Rubus villosus, is employed as an astringent by the Americans; and the same property is found in that of the following indigenous species, which might now be gathered, R. fruticosus, common Bramble or Blackberry; R. suberectus, red fruited Bramble, sometimes found in woods and thickets.* SPIREA ulmaria, Meadow sweet, may still be gathered. Rosa canina.-Dog-rose. The fruit of several other of our native roses is often mixed with the heps of the dog-rose, but none of them have the same agreeable flavour. The real hep is ovate, truncated in consequence of the fall of the sepals, bright scarlet, very succulent, and of a grateful flavour. The plant is a branched smooth bush, covered with equal hooked prickles, without any intermixture of setæ, the leaves are ovate, firm, without glandular pubescence, and serrated with converging teeth. GENISTA tinctoria.-Wood Waxen, in pastures, thickets, and dry borders of fields. URTICACEE.-Humulus Lupulus. The Hop. The cultivated hop is generally preferred to the wild, but, if the latter be chosen, it is fit to be collected in this month. It is abundant in the hedge rows in Surrey. CHENOPODIACEE.-Chenopodium olidum. Stinking goosefoot, found on waste grounds. The whole herb is collected and used by the common people as an antispasmodic; it has a dull grey-green colour, and is covered with a greasy mealiness, which *A remnant of quackery is connected with one species of Rubus, namely, the Hazel-leaved, R. coryfolius, the barren shoots often arch and root at the apex. Children with the hooping-cough are drawn through such an arch, as a cure for their disease. |