The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-10-16
D|GATAL|S, FORMERLY
PURCHASED ABROAD,
FOUND GROWING HERE
Plant from Which Important Drug
Is Obtained Grows Wild in the
States of Oregon and Washing.
ton; Boy Scouts May Aid.

~ Associated Pfess.
Seattle, Wash. oct i5.-The fact
that diritalis, or foNglove grows wild
In the states Of Oregon and Washing
ton. needing only harvesting and col.
lee unr to H. In great assistance In
war medical work. ~ deemed Of high
importance b: the national defense
council The possibility that the boy
Scouts might he uulized IN his i'm.
important work adds to the impor-
lance Of this organization n the
usefulness Of which II has shown it.
self capable
TIM national council of defense has
taken up the matter Of informing
citizens ns 10 the importance OF digi-
TAILS and it, harvesting in the follow
ing statement
Heretofore dlgitnlis or foNglovo has
hcon imported chiefly from central
Europe. fnasmuch AZ digitalis com
stitutcs the most important heart
drug tEc c~urtuilnt.nt of importations
occusioned hy the war gives rise to
a threatened shortage which would
be a. tremendous calamity inasmuch
"A scardio- vascular disease IL the most
prevalent that flesh is heir to-"
Recent work has revealed the fact
that American or home grown digi.
tails Is AS potent and valuable medici-
ndlly as any which VI have hereto
fore imported Although digitalis Is
a-H -AH .a- 80 IN 49,. -
commercial purposes Il has escaped
from gardens and Is found growing
luNurlantly throughout oregon and
Washington. II Is impossible To csti-
mate tu Just what extent d~iritalis IL
growing in these I'VE states but GER
tain rough estimates would seem to
indicate that there ~ sufficient To- sup
ply the entire need of this country.
This being the ease. obviously such
dieitnlis should he collected and
placed at the disposal Of the govern
mcnt
That the need is "a great one Is owl
denced by the iact that the national
scsctrch council has requested sew
crul of the northern universities. no
tably Minnesota. Wisconsin ana III
not~, IA cultivate as much digitalis
avs possible The universities through
their departments Of pharmacy are
responding to tn" hest uf their ability.
but due to the request coming late In
the season and secondly To- the dc1rth
uf secdltup- IL b. unlikely that the
emergency can %" me in this Nay
The National Research Council IL
therefore, calling the attention OF the
people of oregon and Washington to
this opportunity Of contributing graf
ulatious service On the conservation of
wild growing digitalis IN those states
Tho plant Welding thr drug diFi-
tabs b. known ~hutauirallN as Digi.
tails ~rurpuroa, and is commonly
known as foNrloyc. 10 Is % biennial
plant producing "a large roscttc of
basal leaves during the first years.
growth The flower stalk and fruit
l.' produced tn" s., 'oud yct~. In
oregon 9rd Washington where the
plant mas escaped from cultivation u
b. found growing rather lbundantly
The plant is very characteristic hut
those who desire to cooperate with
the government iu the conservation az
The native supply shold utac -pcci-
mems iu local physicians coy phIrma-
ci~ts for Identification, before pro-
ccodinE with the collection
The leaves are used FOR the prep
lration uf the drug. digitalis, and
'i's' MAI Doe collected from either
the first or second year growth only
fuzzy mature. green leaves should he
r,li,ctcd Leaves which have begun
to turn yellow should he discarded.
And 1dhcring sand or other foreign
matter should DE carefully removed
by brushing with a small hand scrub
brush The proper drying requires
considerable skin and experience The
leaves should bee spread "a su that
they are not more than ~ layer deep
and the drying conducted In the shade
or IN any oven where the Temporal
turc does not exceed so degrees cen.
trigrade. Difficulty viii be met in
attempting to dry the leaves with
out artificial heat during humid
Weather as they readily take up muis-
turc from the atmosphere The dry
ing process should hc continued until
the potloloG or leaf stalk breaks cas-