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REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE DRUG MARKET,

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 1881.

BY LOUIS LEHN, OF NEW YORK, CHAIRMAN.

THE drug trade of the past year has fully shared the general prosperity of the country. It has not been disturbed by wild speculation as in the preceding year, but the steadily increasing demand has been well met by ample supplies, while the prices have generally been in favor of the buyers.

In the following we will attempt to recapitulate the changes of the more important staples and new remedies, and to mention the novelties which have been brought to the notice of the medical and pharmaceutical professions, for the past year:

Acid benzoic, ex gum and ex urine, have both steadily declined, and have probably now reached the lowest point.

Acid boracic has lately received more attention as an antiseptic, and is sold at a very low figure.

Acid chrysophanic continues to be in good demand, and is supplied by European manufacturers at reduced figures.

Acid citric has had its usual share of advances and declines. The prediction that it would reach its old price of $1 again during 1880 to 1881 has not been verified; the manufacturers have met the demand with ample supplies.

Acid salicylic continues in good demand at established figures; for medicinal use its soda salt seems to be preferred to the acid.

Acid sclerotinic, from ergot, seems to be preferred to ergotin by some; its high price, however, appears to prevent its more general

use.

Acid tartaric has followed the decline of cream of tartar, and is now selling at a lower figure than it has been selling for a number of years. Amber continues to be exceedingly scarce and high in price.

Anise seed, star, is said to have been adulterated to some extent with Japanese star anise; it is claimed by some that the latter is poisonous, while others assert that the Chinese and Japanese varieties are identical.

Aspidospermin, the alkaloid of the quebracho bark, has so far found. but little application, probably on account of its high price; the citrate is the most soluble of its salts, and is crystallizable.

Balsam copaiba, of all grades, has continued in its upward movement, and has reached a higher figure than it has had for some years; it is expected that the new supplies, which are to arrive shortly, will produce a decline.

Balsam Peru has steadily advanced, and has probably now reached its highest point, $3.50 to $3.75, as now and cheaper supplies are said to be near by; adulterations seem to be more frequent.

Borax advanced in December to 13 cents, from which figure it declined but a trifle since.

Caffein, citrate and pure, continue to be largely used, while the prices remain unchanged.

Calabar beans are plentiful at low prices.

Camphor has again deceived its patrons. It commenced to advance in the fall of last year, reached its highest point in the middle of winter, and began to decline when the heaviest spring demand set in, and at the present prices the refiners say they are selling at a loss.

The imports of crude camphor at New York, during twelve months ending June 30th, 1881, were 2,010,165 pounds, at a value of $350,503. Cardamoms, Aleppy and Malabar, have arrived in well-assorted lots, and are selling at moderate prices.

Carica Papaya, the dried juice of the unripe fruit of, from Brazil, has attracted considerable attention of late; it is said to possess extraordinary digestive properties similar and superior to those of pepsin. On account of its difficult collection the juice is still very scarce and high in price, so that but few experiments have been made with it; larger supplies are expected shortly.

Castor fiber continues very scarce, and high prices must be paid for small lots as they are offered in the market.

Cinchona barks have again played an important part in the drug centres of the world. All grades of good barks have been scarce and high in price; a few months ago, however, the welcome news reached us that large forests of cinchona trees, which all along had been looked upon as furnishing only a very inferior bark, had been found to furnish a bark yielding 1 to 2 per cent. of pure quinia, and that at least one

year's supply was on its way to Northern and European ports. If this information is confirmed, we may look for lower prices of the barks as well as of the cinchona alkaloids. The imports of medicinal barks at New York, for the twelve months ending June 30th, 1881, were 3,095,612 pounds, at a value of $819,899.

Cinchonidia dihydromide, cinchonidia salicylate, and cinchonidia tannate are the latest novelties of cinchonidia salts.

Cinchonidia sulphate has participated in the downward tendency of quinia, and is now cheaper than it has been for some years past.

Coca leaves have been in steady demand; prime leaves have been rather scarce and high in price.

Cream of tartar has not undergone many changes during last year; its price ranged from 34 to 32 cents, at which latter figure it is selling

now.

Cubebs have steadily advanced, and are higher in price now than they have been for some years past.

Damiana is still being in moderate demand; the California variety is now used exclusively.

Duboisina Sulphate.-The effects of this comparatively new alkaloid seem to be generally understood, judging from the increased demand; its price is considerably lower than last year.

Elaterium continues scarce, and its price is higher than before. Ergot of rye has been in good demand throughout the year at a moderately high price; recently a slight advance has taken place.

Eserine salicylate is the only truly crystallized salt of eserine, and is worthy of notice on this account, as it guarantees the highest degree of purity; not being hygroscopic, but very stable, it is a good salt for dispensing.

Eucalyptol, a volatile liquid from eucalyptus leaves, has attracted considerable attention. Two varieties are offered in the market: one, a yellowish liquid, comes from Australia; the other, a white liquid, is imported from Europe.

Flowers, Medicinal.-The crop of last year was, as was to be expected, only a limited one as to quantity, while the quality was even inferior to that of the year previous; as a consequence prices advanced considerably. The reports of this year's crop, as far as received, are very favorable, both as to quantity and quality.

Flowers, arnica, were reported scarce at first, and prices advanced accordingly, but on the arrival of larger supplies a decline followed. Flowers, chamomile, German and Roman, were only of medium quality at comparatively high prices.

Glycerin has advanced in price almost 100 per cent. since last year, and there is no prospect of a decline, as the crude material is still advancing.

Guarana has been in steady demand at very low figures; a slight advance has taken place recently.

Gum acaroides, a resin from Australia, has recently made its appearance in the European and our markets. It resembles, when heated, benzoin in smell, and, since it is much cheaper than benzoin, it will undoubtedly often be used as a substitute for that resin.

Homatropine bromide continues to be in good demand; since it is pretty generally introduced, and manufactured on a larger scale, its price has been reduced about one-half.

Hydroquinone has lately been recommended as an antiseptic.

Hyoscyamine.-The demand for both the amorphous and the crystalline has increased considerably; the sulphate has also been used to a certain extent. The price has remained the same.

Hyoscine iodide, from Hyoscyamus niger, is a new alkaloid discovered by Professor Ladenburg. It is recommended by Professor Edlefsen, of Kiel, as a remedial agent in asthma, whooping-cough, and in colic.

Iodine and its salts have attracted considerable attention by their unusually low price; it is expected by some that an advance will soon take place.

Jaborandi-leaves, of ordinary and medium grades, have been supplied in very large quantities, and the price has been a very low one in consequence, while prime green leaves have been rather scarce.

Jamaica dogwood (Piscidia Erythrina), the bark of the tree, has lately been introduced as a narcotic and hypnotic; whether it will be found as efficacious as is claimed by some remains still to be seen.

Lactucarium continues scarce and high in price.

Manaca (Franciscea uniflora, the wood of), another new remedy from Brazil, has made its appearance lately; it is recommended for rheumatism and syphilis.

Mercury has sold at about the same price all the year round, with occasional advances and declines.

Menthol.-There is a limited demand for this form of oil of peppermint, and the price has been reduced somewhat.

Morphia and its salts have naturally followed the course of opium; it is now selling $1 lower than this time last year.

Opium. The opium market of the past twelve months has passed through a number of exciting changes, but, on the whole, has followed a downward tendency. At the beginning of the fiscal year, when the first reports had arrived, that the new crop would not reach one-half of last year's crop, a quick advance took place; when more favorable news of a larger crop came the price declined. Then came the report of the formation of a syndicate, which intended to concentrate the stock into a few hands, which caused another advance; this was followed by another decline, which has continued ever since, and was hastened by the news that the new crop would be larger than it had been for years past.

The imports of opium at the port of New York, from June 30th, 1880, to June 30th, 1881, amounted to 131,624 pounds, at a value of $746,442.

Papayolin or papaïne is the name given to the purified juice of Carica Papaya. It is said to possess the remarkable digestive properties of the juice in a still more marked degree. It is to be regretted that the difficulty with which the juice is obtained prevents the production of larger quantities of papayotin, which is still very scarce and high in price.

Pilocarpine and its salts are now very extensively used, and seem to be generally preferred to other preparations of jaborandi.

Quebracho Bark. It is now generally conceded that the bark of the Aspidosperma Quebracho (Quebracho blanco) possesses the most medicinal virtues, and is therefore generally called "True Quebracho Bark." The demand for the bark has increased considerably, and the large supplies which have been sent from South America, have reduced the price to a reasonable one.

Quinine dichloride is the latest novelty in quinine salts; it is recommended for hypodermic injections.

Quinine Sulphate.-Since the removal of the tariff duty of 20 per cent. quinine has become cheaper from year to year, and, if the increased supplies of cinchona barks from South America continue, still lower prices may be looked for.

The imports of quinine and its salts, from June 30th, 1880, to June 30th, 1881, were 246,483 ounces, at a value of $624,716.

Resorcin, or metadihydroxyl-benzol, obtained by the action of alkalies upon resins, such as galbanum, ammoniac, and others, is a new antiseptic, which has attracted considerable attention of late; it is said to possess similar properties to carbolic acid, and to be nonpoisonous.

Salicin has followed the downward tendency of quinine, and is now cheaper than it has been for some time.

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