The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-08-21
.DSAGREE OVER JALAP GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
DRUGGISTS OBJECT TO RECENT
REPORT.
Say DR.. Shorey has Given an Erroneous
Impression Regarding This Drug
Which is Little Used Anyway.

The druggists of the city feel that
DR.. Shorey, chemist for the Board of
Health has done them a serious intus-
tice in his report on samples of powder
ed jalap examined. They say that his
report tends to create the impression
that they are selling an adulterated or
diluted article, although admitting that
he found no adulteratiOns, quoting the
United States Dispensatory to create
the belief of adulteration or dilution but
failing to quote Ine statements in the
same connection which indicate that
the official standard is unattainable and
unattainable through no fault either of
the manufacturing or dispensing phar-
macists.
They also claim that ialap is so little
used as to make it a matter of little
concern whether it is adulterated or not.
and of no concern whether a, is diluted
or not.
shorey's report on the subject is as
follows
-Four samples of powdered jalap were
examined and all found to be below
standard The United States Pharma-
copoeia requires in this drug that alco-
hol shall extract not less than twelve
per cent of resin, of which not more
than ten per cent shall be soluble in
ether An examination of the four
samples resulted as follows:
Hebron Drug Co, resin extracted by
alcohol, 1926 per cent soluble in ether,
1916 per cent.
"Hollister Drug Co., resin extracted
by alcohol, 555 ty" cent: soluble in
ether 6.S5 per cent.
Honolulu Drug Co., resin extracted
by alcohol, $40 per cent; soluble in
ether, ether 6:23 per cent.
Benson, Smith & Co., resin extracted
by alcohol $40 per cent; soluble in ether
1890 per cent.
This drug is subject to aduteration
not only with inert and valueless sub
stances but also with the roots of sew
eral closely related plants having some
what similar properties. In the finely
ground condition in which the samples
were it was not possible to determine
whether they were adulterated with the
roots of other plants, or were simply
inferior grades of the genuine article. "
AS showing the claimed misleading
effect of this report, the druggists cite
the following from the United States
Dispensatory edition of 1898, title,
Jalap
1T yields it's active properties partly
to water, partly to alcohol, and COM
pletely to dilute alcohol. and the United
State Pharmacopoeia gives the follow
ing test of its efficiency: 'on eXhausting
100 parts of Jalap with alcohol, concen-
trating the tincture to 40 parts, and
pouring it into water, a precipitate of
resin should be obtained, which, when
washed with water and dried, should
weigh not less than IL parts, and of
which not over 10 per cent SHOULD be
soluble in ether
There can be no doubt that much of
the commercial jalap is far below the
official standard. In June, 1888, a Sc
ries of analyses Welded to DIR. Squibb,
in New York, only about per cent, and
the same chemis, in 1889 as the result
of applications made in Hamburg, Lon
don and New York, for the finest Jalap,
obtained only one consignment yielding
more than rs per cent. DR.. Squibb has
found jalap tubers yielding only is per
cent of resin.'
Mote: The belief of Prof. Fluckeger,
that Jalap resin is extracted from the
roots in Mexico, before the latter are
thrown into commerce. seems probable.
Mote: The poor quality of Mexican
jalap makes the question of the pos
sibility of the cultivation Of the plant
important. In 1884, Widemann, an
apothecary of Munich, showed that in
the gardens of Munich the jaldp plant
would grow and produce tuoars yielding
as high as 22 per cent of resin. In Eng
land jalap yielding 12 per cent resin
has been successfully grown"