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also in gonorrhœa (S. Arjun). The root is given by the Santals to allay vomiting, and the plant to nursing mothers when the supply of milk is deficient or fails (Revd. A. Campbell). It has a reputation as a vermifuge (Dymock).

The capital symptom calling for this new remedy is paroxysmal spasmodic dyspnoea Dr. Tison gives favourable reports of this medicine in dyspnoeas of cardiac origin In all his patients the heart and kidneys seem to have been sound. The Euphorbia pilulifera has not seemed to have any action on the cough and expectoration in chronic bronchitis, nor it seemed to modify the rales of humid asthma In its mode of action it acts in two ways : locally on the stomach, and, after having been absorbed, on the respiratory functions.

1, The active principle of euphorbia pilulifera is soluble in dilate alcohol and water, insoluble or but little soluble in ether, chloroform, di-sulphide of carbon and essence of turpentine. 2. It is toxic in small doses to small animals, killing them by arrest of the respiratory movements and cardiac pulsations, which are first accelerated, then slowed. 3. Its effects are not cumulative. 4. It seems to act directly on the respiratory and cardiac centres ; it leaves intact the other organs. 5. It seems to be eliminated by the liver. 6. Locally it is without action on the skin and mucous membranes, except the gastric mucous membrane, which it irritates. 7. It gives good results in attacks of dyspnœa caused by spasmodic asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis. It ought to be employed in daily doses corresponding at the most to one gramme of the dried plant, and should be taken well diluted with water at meal time. (Quart. Therap. Rev., Jul. 1885.)

The entire plant of Euphorbia pilulifera L. which had been obtained from the Fiji Island, was examined. The air dried material was extracted with alcohol, and the extract distilled with steam, when about 0.02 per cent, of an essential oil was obtained. The following substances were isolated from that portion of the alcoholic extract soluble in water : gallic acid, quercetin, and a new phenolic substance, C₂₈H₁₈O₁₅ . The aqueous liquid also contained amorphus glucoside material and a lsevo-rotatory sugar which yieided alphenyl-glucosazone. The soft resinous material left aftertreating the alcoholic extract with water amounted to about 3.2 per cent, of the original air dried material. This yielded the following substances : tricieontane and apparently a little ceryl alcohol ; a new monohydric alcohol, euphosterol, C₂₅H₃₉OH, m. pt. 274°— 275°C, giving an acetyl derivative m. pt. 295°— 297°C, and a bromo acetyl derivative m. pt. 183°— 186°C, a phytosterol m. pt. 132° — 133°C; a phytosterolin ; Jambulol C₁₆H₃O₄ (O. H) ₅ ; melissic acid and a mixture of higher fatty acids. Euphosterol is evidently closely related to taraxasterol and homotaraxasterol.— (Abstract from Ph. J. of 1913 in the J. Ch. I. for May 15, 1913, p. 505.)

Among the various constituents, there is none to which any specific physiological action may be ascribed. Such therapeutic virtues as the plant