The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-10-08
HOW DRUGS GO TO MARKET.
PREPARING MEDICINAL BARKS
AND HERBS FOR EXPLOITATION.
Some Come In Skins, Some In Casks,
Some in Bales-Perfumes Sealed
in Cows Horns-Musk Caddies,


Barbados aloes is usually imported in
gourds or calabashes, into which recepta.
cles the juice is poured when in semi.
fluid condition. Each gourd when filled
weighs from ten to thirty pounds, ac'
cording to size. Socotrine aloes comes
10 us from Zanzibar, sometimes in skins
and casks; but now more generally iE
kegs, containing from seventy-fve to 1Ot
pounds; or chests, holding from fifty tt
seventy five pounds. When a vessel put
into the island of Socotra and sloes Il
asked for, as the drug is not kept ready
for sale, the leaves of the plant are forth
with cut and the juice allowed to drain
into goatsl1in sacks. These are taken on
board and fastened to the mast, or else
where, in such position that they are
constantly exposed to the sun. By this
means the process of drying is facili-
tated.
The bulk of medicinal barks are i'm
ported in bales and serons. We need,
however, only make mention of the Gin
chonas. The South American barks are
first of all cut up into lengths and made
into bundles Of nearly equal weights.
These are then sewn up in specially pre-
pared canvas of coarse texture, and
conveyed to the depots on the backs of
donkeys. These are further enveloped
in coverings of fresh hides; and by the
drying of these, hard, compact packages,
called serons, are formed, varying in
weight from 156 to 176 pounds. The
East Indian or druggists" quill bark is
now largely imported in cases or chests,
each containing about one hundred
weight and three-quarters.
There are several varieties OF opium,
the official ones being the "Smyrna" and
the "Constantinople. Although the
former variety Is imported from Smyrna,
it is collected in Asia Minor, and comes
to us thence via Turkey (hence called
Turkey" opium) or the Levant. 1t is
packed in cases, each containing 14O
pounds. 1t comes in irregularly rounded
flattened masses, varying IN size, and
seldom exceeding two pounds in weight.
Each cake is enveloped in poppy leaves,
and studded with reddish brown chaffy
fruit or certain species of rumex or dock.
Constantinople opium is packed in
smaller masses, and the midrib of the
poppy leaf which envelopes the cake is
placed over the center of the mass.
Aconitc, buchu and SIENNA leaves are
imported in bales; those of Tinnivelli
SIENNA weighs from two and quarter tc
three and half hundredweight; Of
Alexandrian, about $50 pounds.
Oils, such as caraway, anise, bergamot,
lemon and cajeput, are imported in tins,
coppers, lead tins or bottles. Oil OF
roses comes in vases holding from fifteen
to fifty ounces; Malaga olive oil in bar
rels of from forty to sixty gallons, or in
stone crooks of tive-gallon capacity.
Tamarinds are shipped in kegs or bar
rels holding from half to three and {
half hundredweight. Vanilla beans are
packed in tins. Each tin contain:
twenty -four bundles, each bundle weigh
ing eight ounces.
Quicksilver comes in iron TASKS, some
weigh twenty-five, others seventy seven
pounds; while calomel is imported in one
pound bottles, of which fifty are packed
in each chest.
OF the roots, aconite, alkanet, gentIan,
liquorice, orris and others are imported
in bales; ipecacuanha in serons; calumba
East Indian and African gingers in bags
Cochin and Jamaica gingers in barrels
The jalap plant, from which the tuber.
cles are obtained, grows in Mexican
woods at an elevation of 5000 feet. i
obtains its name from Xalapa, or Jalapa,
a city of Mexico. The tubercles, com.
monty called roots, are imported in bags
or bales, weighing about $50 pounds
The roots of Jamaica sarsaparilla, being
lengthy, are folded up and packed int
bundles, from one foot to foot and
half long, and four or more inches broad
These untrimmed bundles are thel
tightly packed into bales to the weigh
Of about hundredweight and half.
Several varieties of rhubarb root ar
brought into the market, the cases vary
ing in weight from 100 to 300 pounds
The best known is the called Turkey
rhubarb. This is imported from Russia
but collected in China. The root is dul
up, washed, bored, threaded on string
and hung up in the sun to dry. 1t
then taken in horse hair sacks TO tn
dealers, whence it is conveyed in chest
to the Russian depots, each chest bein
coated on the outside with pitch, an
enveloped in hempen cloth and a hide
and on each is fastened a paper label
having the year of collection and con
tanned weight of root printed on it, Th
Russian Government has ten-yearly con
tract with the Bucharians, engaging Il
purchase (by barter all that they ca
produce.
OF the perfumes, civet is brought owe
in cows horns. The opening is coyere
over with skin, on which are marked tn
number and weight. Each horn is wrappe
up in a coarse cloth, and contains froI
one to three pounds.
Shanghai exports the bulk of Tonqui
musk. 1t reaches our buyers in boxC
which are known as "caddias.' Tn
term is derived from the Chinese weigh
catty, which is equivalent to about on
pound aud third. The boxes are mad
Of brown cardboard, and usually measuT
nine by five by six inches. Externally
they are covered with the usual silky pt
per of Chinese manufacture, and, I
might be expected, the designs upo
them are gaudy in color and very quain
The colors most in use are led, blue an
green. Each box contains soft lead6