{95}EDITORIAL.COLCHICUMAUTUMNALE.—In the December number of the Edinburgh Monthly Journal of Medical Science, Dr. J. McGrigor Maclagan, has published an article on Colchicum Autumnale, which contains little that is new, but is of interest as confirming the statements of other observers. The ordinary mode of propagation of the plant by the formation of a single new bulb is thus described. In June, “the bulb is as large as an apricot, firm, amylaceous, and extremely bitter, and having attached to it the shrivelled remains of the old bulb, and the leaves now yellow and decayed. At the end of June or commencement of July, a small bulb will be observed to have become developed upon the side of the corm at its lower part. At this time it is a little larger than a grain of wheat, and lies in a little fissure on the side of the parent bulb, a little above the origin of the radicles. It increases slowly and gradually in size till the beginning of August, when it appears as a dilatation of the flower stalk, which it then commences to put up.In September the flower is in full perfection, the long tube of the perianth of which has raised the six partite limb to the height of from six to eight inches above the ground. The flower remains for two or three weeks, and then dies down; and nothing of the plant is seen above the surface till the beginning of February, when the leaf stalk commences to rise. If at this time the plant be taken up, the old and new bulb will still be found to be united, but the new one will be observed to have increased little in size since autumn, being still hardly larger in diameter than the leaf stalk. The bulb thus grows little during the autumn, but in winter it increases rapidly in size; in April it is like a large hazel nut, and from that time it increases still more till the end of June or the beginning of July, when it is, as Dr. Christison states, as large as an apricot.In April the leaf stalk is found perfected by a fine group of dark green leaves, generally three in number, and having within their sheath the capsules which ought to ripen their fruit in the course of the summer.In May the old bulb will be found dry and withered, and containing very little starch; and in July if the plant be taken up, three bulbs will be found, the first now reduced to the form of a membrane, bearing no resemblance to a bulb at all; the second, arrived at full growth; and a third the progeny of the second.In February and August, instead of one leaf stalk and flower stalk making their appearance at their respective periods, I have often remarked that two have occurred, one on either side of the parent bulb. I believe this to be one of the effects of cultivation, as I have no where seen it remarked in descriptions of the plant by botanical authors.Dr. Christison has mentioned that the full size of a Colchicum bulb is that of a small apricot. Where the plant has been cultivated however, Dr. Maclagan, frequently met with them as big as large apples, and on one occasion procured one in October weighing nine and a half ounces.{96}He thinks that the cormus should be taken for medicinal use about the middle of July, at which time it has attained its greatest size, and is firm, amylaceous and exceedingly bitter. The bitterness is the best criterion of its medicinal activity.A number of years ago, Dr. A. T. Thomson, proposed the tincture of Guaiacum as a test for the goodness of Colchicum. Ten grains of the bulb were rubbed in a mortar, with sixteen minims of distilled vinegar, and immediately afterwards sixteen minims of the tincture of guaiacum were added. When the bulb was good, a beautiful cerulean color, according to Dr. Thomson, was produced. Having ascertained that several specimens which he knew to be good failed in giving this characteristic color, Dr. M. proceeded to investigate the causes on which it depended. He expressed several bulbs and filtered the juice to separate the starch; a beautiful blue color was now immediately produced by the test. The blue liquid was then heated till the albumen was coagulated; the color remained with the coagulum, while the liquid was colorless. On raising the heat to 212° the blue color disappeared. The test produced no change in the starch collected on the filter. When the fluid was boiled previously to the application of the test, no blue color was produced by it either with the filtered fluid or the coagulum. From these experiments Dr. M. concludes, “1st. That albumen is the principle acted on. 2nd. That a heat above 180° destroys this action. 3rd. That the value of the test is to prove that the bulbs have been dried at a temperature not higher than 180°.”Dr. Maclagan was unable to procure colchicia, the alkaloid announced by Geiger & Hesse, in the crystalline form, though he followed the process they give very exactly, and consequently he doubts its crystalline nature. What he obtained was in the form of a brown resinous looking mass without smell, and of a bitter taste, the bitterness being followed by a slight sense of irritation in the throat but by nothing like the intense acrimony of veratria.In regard to the physiological action of Colchicum, Dr. M. confirms the statement of previous observers, that it markedly increases the amount of urea in the urine; and contrary to what has been maintained by some, found it likewise to increase the quantity of uric add. In an experiment related in detail, after the colchicum had been employed for six days, the amount of urea in the urine was found to be increased by nearly one half, and the uric acid was more than doubled.ERRATA IN THE FEBRUARY NUMBER.Page33,13th line from the bottom—for “slack” read “slacked.”Page36,17th line from the bottom—for “grns.” read “grms.”Page36,11th line from the bottom—for “grns.” read “grms.”Page36,11th line from the bottom—for “0.845 grn.” read “0.845 grm.”Page37,2nd line from the top—for “monohydrate” read “molybdate.”
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COLCHICUMAUTUMNALE.—In the December number of the Edinburgh Monthly Journal of Medical Science, Dr. J. McGrigor Maclagan, has published an article on Colchicum Autumnale, which contains little that is new, but is of interest as confirming the statements of other observers. The ordinary mode of propagation of the plant by the formation of a single new bulb is thus described. In June, “the bulb is as large as an apricot, firm, amylaceous, and extremely bitter, and having attached to it the shrivelled remains of the old bulb, and the leaves now yellow and decayed. At the end of June or commencement of July, a small bulb will be observed to have become developed upon the side of the corm at its lower part. At this time it is a little larger than a grain of wheat, and lies in a little fissure on the side of the parent bulb, a little above the origin of the radicles. It increases slowly and gradually in size till the beginning of August, when it appears as a dilatation of the flower stalk, which it then commences to put up.
In September the flower is in full perfection, the long tube of the perianth of which has raised the six partite limb to the height of from six to eight inches above the ground. The flower remains for two or three weeks, and then dies down; and nothing of the plant is seen above the surface till the beginning of February, when the leaf stalk commences to rise. If at this time the plant be taken up, the old and new bulb will still be found to be united, but the new one will be observed to have increased little in size since autumn, being still hardly larger in diameter than the leaf stalk. The bulb thus grows little during the autumn, but in winter it increases rapidly in size; in April it is like a large hazel nut, and from that time it increases still more till the end of June or the beginning of July, when it is, as Dr. Christison states, as large as an apricot.
In April the leaf stalk is found perfected by a fine group of dark green leaves, generally three in number, and having within their sheath the capsules which ought to ripen their fruit in the course of the summer.
In May the old bulb will be found dry and withered, and containing very little starch; and in July if the plant be taken up, three bulbs will be found, the first now reduced to the form of a membrane, bearing no resemblance to a bulb at all; the second, arrived at full growth; and a third the progeny of the second.
In February and August, instead of one leaf stalk and flower stalk making their appearance at their respective periods, I have often remarked that two have occurred, one on either side of the parent bulb. I believe this to be one of the effects of cultivation, as I have no where seen it remarked in descriptions of the plant by botanical authors.
Dr. Christison has mentioned that the full size of a Colchicum bulb is that of a small apricot. Where the plant has been cultivated however, Dr. Maclagan, frequently met with them as big as large apples, and on one occasion procured one in October weighing nine and a half ounces.{96}
He thinks that the cormus should be taken for medicinal use about the middle of July, at which time it has attained its greatest size, and is firm, amylaceous and exceedingly bitter. The bitterness is the best criterion of its medicinal activity.
A number of years ago, Dr. A. T. Thomson, proposed the tincture of Guaiacum as a test for the goodness of Colchicum. Ten grains of the bulb were rubbed in a mortar, with sixteen minims of distilled vinegar, and immediately afterwards sixteen minims of the tincture of guaiacum were added. When the bulb was good, a beautiful cerulean color, according to Dr. Thomson, was produced. Having ascertained that several specimens which he knew to be good failed in giving this characteristic color, Dr. M. proceeded to investigate the causes on which it depended. He expressed several bulbs and filtered the juice to separate the starch; a beautiful blue color was now immediately produced by the test. The blue liquid was then heated till the albumen was coagulated; the color remained with the coagulum, while the liquid was colorless. On raising the heat to 212° the blue color disappeared. The test produced no change in the starch collected on the filter. When the fluid was boiled previously to the application of the test, no blue color was produced by it either with the filtered fluid or the coagulum. From these experiments Dr. M. concludes, “1st. That albumen is the principle acted on. 2nd. That a heat above 180° destroys this action. 3rd. That the value of the test is to prove that the bulbs have been dried at a temperature not higher than 180°.”
Dr. Maclagan was unable to procure colchicia, the alkaloid announced by Geiger & Hesse, in the crystalline form, though he followed the process they give very exactly, and consequently he doubts its crystalline nature. What he obtained was in the form of a brown resinous looking mass without smell, and of a bitter taste, the bitterness being followed by a slight sense of irritation in the throat but by nothing like the intense acrimony of veratria.
In regard to the physiological action of Colchicum, Dr. M. confirms the statement of previous observers, that it markedly increases the amount of urea in the urine; and contrary to what has been maintained by some, found it likewise to increase the quantity of uric add. In an experiment related in detail, after the colchicum had been employed for six days, the amount of urea in the urine was found to be increased by nearly one half, and the uric acid was more than doubled.
In regard to the physiological action of Colchicum, Dr. M. confirms the statement of previous observers, that it markedly increases the amount of urea in the urine; and contrary to what has been maintained by some, found it likewise to increase the quantity of uric add. In an experiment related in detail, after the colchicum had been employed for six days, the amount of urea in the urine was found to be increased by nearly one half, and the uric acid was more than doubled.
ERRATA IN THE FEBRUARY NUMBER.Page33,13th line from the bottom—for “slack” read “slacked.”Page36,17th line from the bottom—for “grns.” read “grms.”Page36,11th line from the bottom—for “grns.” read “grms.”Page36,11th line from the bottom—for “0.845 grn.” read “0.845 grm.”Page37,2nd line from the top—for “monohydrate” read “molybdate.”