644

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

and more disagreeable than the Barbadoes aloes ; its powder is greenishyellow. Some of the commoner kinds of Cape aloes have a roughfracture.

Occasionally it has been imported of a reddish-brown colour, lik ethat of the liver, and opaque, ( liver-coloured or hepatic Cape aloes)-About five years since, an experienced dealer bartered 3 lbs. of Cap ealoes for 1 lb. of what he thought to be the genuine hepatic aloes, butwhich turned out to be a fine sort of Cape aloes. I presume this is thekind which Professor Guibourt {Hist, des Drog. simpl. t. ii. p. 418, 3"° ed.)>to whom I sent a specimen of it, terms Aloes hepatique faux. Its odour*when breathed on, instantly detects it.

Cape aloes is procured from Aloe spicata, and perhaps also from otherspecies, as A. arborescens, Mill., A. Commelyni, Willd., A. mitriforrnis,Willd. (Lindley, Flora Medico).

5. Fetid, Horse, or Caballine Aloes (Aloe caballina ). —I have never iu etwith any aloes under this name in English commerce. From ProfessorGuibourt I have received two substances which he denominates Al° tSCaballin.

а. One is impure or foot Cape aloes. p

ft. The other is in black, opaque masses. Its fracture is uniform- .

is difficult to pulverise, adheres to the pestle, gives a greenypowder, has very little odour, and yields a dark brown decoctioIt is probably an extract prepared by boiling the leaves in " a

Professor Guibourt {Hist, des Drog. ii. 419) says Caballine .alo eS ^procured either in the countries which furnish ordinary aloes, or inor Senegal . .

б. Mocha Aloes (Aloe de Mocha). —Under this name I found in awarehouse, where it had lain for many years, an impure kind of a ^ 1 ° eS qjhlarge irregular masses, opaque and black externally, intermixedsand, strings, &c. In its brittleness, odour, and the pale colour odecoction, it resembles Cape aloes. The interior of the mass is not *form: in some places it is dark and opaque, somewhat like Barbaaloes, in other places it resembles Socotrine aloes, and here and therefind portions having the transparency and resinous appearance of Caloes. Recently this kind of aloes has been imported under the

of Mocha aloes from Muscat , in chests containing nearly 2 cwt. eace - -

7. Indian Aloes {Aloe indica ).—Through the kindness of Proi eS ^Royle I have examined four kinds of aloes brought from the inteii° rIndia :—

i ha®

a. Aloes from Northern India . —Is dull, black, and brittle, analittle odour. It came from the northern parts of India , wh ere - eis common in the bazaars. It is probably the kind which{Mat. Ind. vol. ii. p. 10) says resembles Barbadoes aloes.ft. Guzerat Aloes. —Is dark, more gummy in its appearance andmore difficult to fracture. It came from Guzerat. .

y. Salem Aloes. —In blackish masses. It was brought from

It is distinguished from all the preceding by the numerous ^air cavities observed in its interior. Its odour is analogous toof Socotrine aloes. Its price is marked one anna and uin c V[about twopence-halfpenny] per pound.