UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION HENBANE Comment This summary covers the crude drug henbane or hyoscyamus, both in its natural state and when advanced in value or condition by milling or grinding. Henbane is a poisonous botanical, consisting of the dried leaves, with or without the tops, of two species of the Hyoscyamus plant. The plant is both an annual and biennial herb, indigenous to Europe, Asia, and Africa, and it has been transplanted to the United States. Of the two species referred to above Hyoscyamus niger, is included in the United States Pharmacopoeia as a recognized drug and is used principally in ground form. The other species referred to is Hyoscyamus muticus, which comes chiefly from Egypt, and is used exclusively for the extraction of its alkaloids which, in turn, are used in medicine. The active principles of henbane of both species are two alkaloidshyoscyamine and hyoscine (scopolamine)--but the two alkaloids occur in different proportions in the two species. Ground henbane is a grayish green to dark green powder and is used directly in that form as a sedative and hypnotic, especially in the treatment of colic resulting from lead poisoning and irritations of the bladder. The alkaloids extracted from the species Hyoscyamus muticus are also used as sedatives. There is some production of the crude botanical, henbane, in the United States, largely from wild plants in the Rocky Mountain States, especially in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. No statistics of the domestic output are available, but it is probably small in comparison with imports. United Sates annual imports of henbane ranged from 55,000 pounds, valued at $3,900, to about 136,000 pounds, valued at about $12,000, in the prewar years 1937-39. During the war imports fluctuated widely. Since the war imports have ranged from 399,000 pounds, valued at about $66,000 in 1946, to 506,000 pounds, valued at about $85,000, in 1947. Egypt is the principal source of United States imports of henbane, supplying mainly the species Hyoscyamus muticus, and was virtually the only supplier in most war years. In the years immediately before the war the ratio of imports of Egyptian henbane to total imports ranged (in quantity) from 44 percent in 1937 to 59 percent in 1939. During the war years this ratio rose to as high as 99 percent, and it ranged from 91 to 95 percent in the postwar years, 1946-48. Other important sources of imports, which supply principally the species Hyoscyamus niger, are Belgium, Hungary, and the Soviet Union (see table 1). The average annual unit foreign value of United States imports of henbane is of little significance because the unit values vary widely from one country to another (see table 1) and the average is largely determined by the proportion of imports of Egyptian henbane, which is much lower in unit value than imports from other countries. During the 1937-48 period the annual average unit foreign value of imports of Egyptian henbane ranged from 4 cents per pound in 1938 to 19 cents in 1948. In contrast, the henbane imported from other countries was very much higher in unit value; in some years the unit values of imports from these several sources ranged from about 50 cents to $1 or more a pound. United States export statistics of henbane (hyoscyamus) are available only for 3 years, 1942-44. These exports ranged from 1,063 pounds, valued at $3,683, in 1942 to 2,580 pounds, valued at $3,895, in 1944. Canada and certain Latin American countries were the principal markets. SUMMARIES OF TARIFF INFORMATION NUX VOMICA Tariff Status Par. 1728. Nux vomica, which was free of duty under the Tariff Act of 1922, is free of duty also under the Tariff Act of 1930. Trade Statistics Table 1.- Nux vomica: United States imports for consumption, from Pakistan in 1948, the first year for which separate statistics for that country were reported. Source: Official statistics of the U. S. Department of Commerce. Note. There is no U. S. production of crude nux vomica. Statistics on United States exports are available for only the 3 years 1942-44 and are given in the comment. 877032 O 50 - 21 UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION NUX VOMICA Comment This summary covers the botanical, nux vomica, both in the crude state and as a ground or powdered product. Nux vomica is the dried ripe seed of the tree Strychnos nux-vomica which is native to southern Asia. Commercial supplies of the crude botanical are collected from wild trees by natives in India and French Indochina. The active principles of mux vomica are the two alkaloids, strychnine and brucine, of which the crude botanical contains 2 to 2.7 percent. Nux vomica is used chiefly for the manufacture of these two alkaloids. Smaller quantities are used in making the tincture, fluid extract, extract, and solution of nux vomica. There is no United States production of crude nux vomica. United States imports of mux vomica, almost entirely in the crude state, averaged 2 million pounds, valued at $47,000, (foreign value) annually during the prewar years 1937-39. In the postwar period imports declined from 3,235,000 pounds, valued at 149 thousand dollars, in 1946 to 1,332,000 pounds, valued at 116 thousand dollars, in 1948 (see table 1). During most years the bulk of the United States imports has come from India and the remainder (except for very small quantities from Ceylon) has come from French Indochina. Nux vomica from French Indochina has a slightly higher total alkaloid content, and a considerably higher content of strychnine (the most valuable alkaloid) than that from India. It accordingly commands a much higher price, as is shown by the unit value of imports. The unit foreign value of imports from all sources has increased several fold since 1937-39. The unit foreign value of imports from India averaged a little more than 1 cent a pound in 1937-39, as compared to 4 cents a pound in 1948, and the unit value of imports from French Indochina amounted to 3 cents a pound in 1937, as compared with 13 cents a pound in 1948. Statistics on United States exports of mux vomica (necessarily re-exports) are available for only the 3 years 1942-44. Exports amounted to 22,197 pounds, valued at $3,162, in 1942; 34,155 pounds, valued at $4,907, in 1943; and to 25,779 pounds, valued at $3,880, in 1944. Canada and certain Latin American countries were the principal destinations. SARSAPARILLA ROOT Tariff Status Par. 1728. Sarsaparilla root, which was dutiable at 1 cent per pound under the Tariff Act of 1922, is free of duty under the Tariff Act of 1930. Its dutyfree status was originally bound in the trade agreement with Honduras, effective March 1936, and in the trade agreement with Mexico, effective January 1943. Country Trade Statistics Table 1.- Sarsaparilla root: United States imports for 1937 1938 1939 1943 1946 1/ 1947 1/ 1948 1/ Quantity (pounds) 1/ Preliminary. Source: Official statistics of the U. S. Department of Commerce. Note. The United States does not produce or export crude sarsaparilla root U.S.P. (see text). UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION SARSAPARILLA ROOT Comment This summary covers sarsaparilla root, both in its natural state and when advanced in value or condition by milling or grinding, i.e., powdered sarsaparilla root. Sarsaparilla root is obtained from the plant Smilax aristolochioefolia, known in commerce as Mexican sarsaparilla; or of Smilax regelii, known in commerce as Honduras sarsaparilla; or of undetermined species of Smilax respectively known in commerce as Ecuadorian and Central American sarsaparilla. The Smilax plants are climbing or trailing vines or shrubs, indigenous to Mexico, Central America, and tropical South America. Some sarsaparilla is cultivated in Jamaica, but the bulk of the world supply of the crude root is obtained from wild plants in Mexico and Honduras. Ground sarsaparilla root is a pale brown to yellowish orange powder and was formerly employed in medicine as a remedy for syphilis, various skin diseases, chronic rheumatism, and scrofula; however, it is considered to be virtually useless for the treatment of these diseases in modern medical practice. Sarsaparilla is now used chiefly as a syrup to be mixed with castor oil, iodides and other saline drugs, to mask their taste. There is no United States production or export of crude sarsaparilla root, as described in the U. S. Pharmacopoeia. There are related varieties of the smilax plant which grow in this country but no statistics regarding the domestic collection of this native smilax are available. It is of minor commercial importance. Imports into the United States of sarsaparilla root averaged 109,000 pounds, valued at $11,600, annually during the prewar years 1937-39. They amounted to 98,600 pounds, valued at $28,000, in 1946; 145,560 pounds, valued at $53,000, in 1947; and to 111,250 pounds, valued at $24,000, in 1948. (See table 1). Mexico was the principal source of imports of sarsaparilla root in the prewar years 1937-39, and also in 1947 and in 1948; Jamaica was the chief source in 1945 and in 1946. Honduras has been an important secondary source in most years. The unit foreign value of imports of sarsaparilla from all sources increased from 9 cents a pound in 1938 to 36 cents per pound in 1947; in 1948 it was 22 cents a pound. |