Book Description

Excerpt from The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. 29 In the London Journal of Pharmacy, vol. iii, page ICO, will be found an article, by Dr. Alexander Ure, upon the South American bark called the Malambo or Matias bark, a short extract of which will be found in the appendix to the U. S. Dispensatory, page 1849. Dr. Ure states in his paper, that Malambo or Matias bark is the product of a tree in Colombia, S. A., and that it was placed in his hands by Hugh Houston, Esq., which gentleman received it from Dr. Mackay, who communicated, two papers respecting it to the British Association, and mentions having procured from it by distillation two oils, one lighter than water, of a specific gravity 0-949; the other denser, of a specific gravity 1-028. He further obtained a brown, bitter extractive substance. Dr. Mackny remarked, that it had been successfully used in intermittent fever, in convalescence from continued fever, in hemicrania, dyspepsia, and a variety of chronic ailments, where tonics and stimulants were indicated; and that as an adjunct to diuretic remedies, it had been found eminently useful. Dr. Ure describes the Malambo or Matias bark to be three or four lines in thickness, brittle, though somewhat fibrous; emitting when fresh bruised an aromatic flavor, not unlike that of calamus; color of a brown hue, covered with an ash-colored tuberculous epiderm, and possessing a bitter pungent taste. With water it forms an agreeable bitter infusion; with alcohol, a powerful bitter tincture. Ether extracts from it volatile oil and resin. Heated along with hydrate of potash, free ammonia is disengaged, indicating the presence of an azotized principle. It is without astringency. It appears to coincide, as suggested to me b)T M. Guibourt, both in regard to physical and sensible properties, with Malambo, the Indian name for the bark of a tree which grows in New Granada, and which is held in high esteem among the natives as a febrifuge and stomachic. Malambo bark was analysed by M. Cadet Gassicourt, about twenty-eight years ago (Journ. de Pharmacies tom. ii, p. 372); subsequently by M. Vauquelin, who ascertained the presence of three distinct substances, namely: 1. An aromatic volatile oil. 2. A very bitter resin. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.