ALOE.

643

Socotrine aloes is mentioned by Avicenna and Mesue , both of whomre garded it as the best kind. By Fee (Cours d'Hist. Nat. Pharm. t. i.

325), and some other continental writers, it is confounded with Capealoes.

The aloes prepared in the island of Socotra is probably procured fromsocotrina. In 1833, the quatity exported from this islannd was 83.\\ins, or 2 tons. But a much larger quantity might be procured if required' '''ellstead, Journ. Geograph. Soc. vol. v.) Sir Whitelaw Ainslie (Materian dica, vol. i. p. 9) says that the greater part of the extract now sold??der the name of Socotrine aloes is prepared in the kingdom of

alelinda.

I have never seen the Socotrine aloes of commerce adulterated. But' v ° samples (one of which I have in my museum) brought direct from, e island of Socotra, by a friend of Professor Royle, are largely inter-tlllx ed with foreign substances, as sand, skins, &c.

, 2. Genuine Hepatic Aloes: Liver-coloured Socotrine Aloes (Aloe*‘Patica vera. ? Aloe indica, Ph. Ed.)—I have never met with any®scripti on of this kind; and I suspect continental writers confound it'hi the foregoing variety. In English commerce it is always regarded^ distinct.

j. It is brought to us from Bombay in skins, contained in casks holding^°tn 200 to 300 pounds. Its odour is very much the same as that of the^° c otrine kind, or perhaps it is a little less fragrant. It is distinguishedthe latter by its opacity and its liver colour. The similarity of the°Ur of Socotrine and hepatic aloes leads to the suspicion that theyobtained from the same plant; and which is further confirmed bye two being sometimes brought over intermixed, the Socotrine occa-n . all .V forming a vein in a cask of the hepatic aloes. By digestion inj, c bfied spirit of wine, a yellowish granular pow'der (in appearance.j’lething like lycopodium) is obtained, which is insoluble in water,t >b°l, aether, and dilute sulphuric acid, but is readily soluble in a solu-a of caustic potash, forming a red-coloured liquid.

>s i, Barbadoes Aloes: Aloes in gourds (Aloe barbadensis, Ph . Ed.)—This**e kind denominated by most continental writers (as Geiger, Tlieod.(.Jj^bus, Pfaff, Fee, and others,) Hepatic Aloes (Aloe hepatic o'), but itso t ? Ur ' s not constantly that of the liver. It is imported from Barbadoes ilj' ^ttiaica in gourds, weighing from 60 to 70 pounds, or even morej|j an this. It varies in colour from a dark brown or black (brown or blackhen .^ oes aloes) to a reddish-brown or liver colour ( liver-coloured or•^ l a hc Barbadoes aloes) : even in the same gourd a difference of colour^° c casionally observed. The fracture also varies, sometimes being dull,liy'bber times glossy. Its unpleasant odour, (which is much increasedlt s re athing on it) will always distinguish it from the foregoing kinds.Lewder is of a dull olive-yellow colour. This kind of aloes is obtainedthe Aloe vulgaris.

S

('ape Aloes (Aloe capensis: A. lucida of Geiger).—This kind is

as its name indicates, from the Cape of Good Hope . It iso bgbt over in chests and skins, the latter being preferred, as the aloesain °d therein are usually purer and more glossy. It has a shining

mtOiiK --- „ .1-i__ „„i„.:ti. _ ‘

' 4 Us :

ajjpearance, is of a deep brown colour, with a greenish tint, andtt;,,. a glossy or resinous fracture ; its edges, or thin laminas, viewed byfitted light, have a yellowish-red or ruby colour; its odour is stronger