CO129-249 - Governor Des Voeus Acting Governor Barker - 1891 [1-5] — Page 139

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THE CHINA REVIEW.

base, ovate acuminate and usually coarsely dentate. When bruised they emit a fotid odour. The flowers are as a rule white, al- though specimens may frequently he seen of a distinct yellow colour; corolla infundi- buliform, from 3 to 5 inches long; calyx about 2 inches long. The sub-globuse oup- sules are about 13 inch in diameter, and rest up the enlarged flat persistent base of the ealyx; they are armed with a number of spines, and split irregularly when ripe. The seeds, which do not appear to be used by the Chinese, are ear-shaped and of a yellowish brown colour.

The dried flowers, in bundles of various sizes, are the only part of the plant sold by the native druggists. The fresh herb may frequently be seen on the herbalist's stall. The dried flowers weigh on au average four grains each,

HABITAT.This species grows in waste places about villages on the island of Hong- kong, and exhibits a special liking for ground in close proximity to a ruined build- ing. Oo Stone Cutter's Island, under the walls of the old prison, specimens may be seen growing to a height of about 5 feet. Common also on the neighbouring mainland and about the city of Canton (Loureiro, Reeves, Parker, &c.)

An unusually fine specimen was gathered by one of us in Macao this year. It had a corolla 7 inches long.

In Remarks on the Botany of 8. Man- churia by Dr Morrison of Her B. Majesty's Consulate, D. alba is mentioned among other important plants of the N. 0. Solanaceae. Writing under date June 6th, 1887, Dr Morrison states, that about Newchwang it is known as

Tien ma hua and

16 La pra huo, and that it is ap- plied in the form of an ointment to ulcers and sores. He was unable to ascertain that it was used internally.

COMPOSITION. The plant contains an al- kaloid possessing properties similar to atro- pine. It is usually designated daturine, but, as the 'identity of the active principle

in both the Dutura and Belladonna tribes is now completely established,' it would be well if toxicologista, in their reports on analyses in cases of Daluru poisoning, would refer to the basic misture isolated from the contents of the stomach or bladder simply as atropine. In the absence of a part of the plant, in the material eent for analysis, that will enable the toxicologist to establish the origin of the alkaloid, it is impossible to say that it is a case of Dutura poisoning. There may be collateral evidence that would jastify the expert in giving an opinion on this point, but, as a chemist, he cannot go beyond the mera statement that atropino was detected,2 Herr Schmidt, writing on

1. Blyth, Poisons: their effects and detection (1884), p. 354.

2. As an example of the ignorance on toxi- cological routiers which exists iu some quarters, the following instance may be cited-about two years ago I was called upon to sunlyse the stomach contents and urine of a European who was supposed to have died of poison. The man (28 years of age and of a rather powerful build) had been seen to add a quantity of spirit of wine to a colourless liquid in a tumbler, which he drank about 9.30 a.m. In a few minutes be became insensible, passing at once into a condi- tion of profound coma, which continued until his death at 11 p.in —13 hours after the supposed administration of the poison. The temperature of the body at 4 p.m. was 100°, 7.30 p.m. 103.6, p.m. 105 F.: the pupils were dilated. The requisition for the analysis to ascertain the Canse of death contained the following pas- sage from the evidence it seems doubtful whether the poison was Belladonna or Al- cohol.' As it is usual to dud a lowering of temperature in cases of alcoholic poisoning, and as coma of the Post Mortein appear- auces were not rousistent with the idea that death was caused by these means, the ana- lysis was conducted with a view of finding a mydriatic poison. An alkaloid, indistinguishable from atropine, was detected in considerable quantity in both the contents of the stomach and bladder. In my official report on this case some stress was laid on the impossibility of distin- guishing the mydriatic alkaloide of Solanaceous plants in such cases these; and the opinion was advanced that a solution of the alkaloid atropine had probably been employed. The Coroner referred my report to a medical man with a request that be would advise him as to what was the cause of death in English phrase- ology, and obtained the following reply: consider the plain English of the analyst's re- port to be that Mr...... died from a narcotic poison, and there is no doubt that the poison was one of the preparations of Belladon-

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NOTES ON CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA.

the nomenclature of the alkaloids of Atro- pa Belladonna and Duteru Stramonium, states, should it be desired to differentiate between chemically identical atropive ac- eording to its origin, it would be simply fo make a distinction between atropine from Atropa Belladonna and one from Datura Stramonium, but not between atropine and daturine.'

The detection of the active principle of Datura may be effected by following the process described under Golsemium elegans,2 The final product need not however be tested by chemical reagents, because there is no test sufficiently delioate to enable the opera- tor to detect the mydriatic alkaloids of the Solanaceous group, when in the minute quantity usually found in the material sent for examination in cases of poisoning, A neutral solution of the sulphate or hydro- chloride of the base should be prepared, and a drop or two applied to the eye. If dilata- tion of the pupil ooours, a further quantity may be injected into a small animal, pre- ferably a monkey, and the effect noted.

Dr Sydney Ringer has called attention to the fact that certain animals are almost insusceptible to the influence of some of the mydriatic alkaloids. In 1884, during the course of some experiments made in the Government Laboratory with an alkaloidal

ne. Now in this case not only was the Au lyst's report misinterpreted, but a statement was made which would not bear for one moment the light of modern scientific enquiry. The danger of trying to render in popular language opinions, in cases where the life of a fellow-creature may be at stake, is a most serious one; points in the evidence of a circumstantial character might be regarded by the jury as strictly direct evidence, and the gravest issues might resalt from an en- deavour to avoid technicalities in a report where technical language cannot be safely dispensed with: in any case, the medical jurist who gave such an opinion as this, diametrically opposed as it is to a principle based on recognised matters of fact, would receive very severe handling at the hands of well-informed counsel.-W. H. C.

1. Ph. Journ., (8), XV., p. 80.

2. Note 1, China Rer., XV., p. 217.

3. Its alkaloidal character should of course

be confirmed if there is sufficient material at the

disposal of the operator.

4. Therapeutics, (1880), p. 508.

extract of the flowers of Datura albu, con- siderable difficulty was experienced in kill- ing a small guinea-pig with hypodermic in- jections of the base. Herbivarous animals are said to be but little affected by atropine, but it acts as a powerful poison on flesh- eaters.

Med. Plants, JIL., 192; Ft. Hongk., 245; Pharmacoyrophia, 462; Mat. Med. of W. Ind., 618; Science Papers, 258 and 266; Pl. Journal, (3), XVI., 497 and 540.

9. Datura Stramonium, Linn. THORN APPLE, STRAMONIUM. N. 0. Solanacem. According to David, this species grows around Pekin and at Yébol iu Mongolia. We have not met with a specimen, but the botanical differences between it and Dutura aiba are not such as to render it at all pro- bable that the Chinese distinguish the two.

Our view, that both plants will be found in China under the same or closely allied names, derives support from the fact that in Tatarinor's catalogue (No. 177). D. Stro- monium is given ander #Fu ch'iek érh, a namo bich, as pointed out by Porter Smith, may either be a mistake or a popular exchange for

Feny chrich êrh, one of the synonyms of Wan t'e lo hua (Datura alba).

Porter Smith, p. 84; Soub, et Dab. de Th., p. 190; Planta Davidiana, (1984), p. 221; Azed. Plants, (11), 192. Pharmacographia, 9; Per. Mat. Med., Vol. II, Pt. I, p3561.

10. Podophyllum versipelle,' Hance.

N. O. Berberideæ.

C.-Tuk kouk lig. -Tu chio bien.

The discovery a few years ago of two Chinese species of Podophyllum-one in Formosa, P. pleianthum,2 and the other in the Kwangtung province-affords another illustration of the relationship which exists

1. Juurnal of Botany, (1883), p. 862.

2. Ibid., (1883), p. 175.

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