ce Fy 
The root, which is the medicinal part of the-plant, is, in its dried 
ftate, rough, and wrinkled, in long flender pieces, externally brown, 
internally white, and eafily dividing longitudinally into filamentous _ 
fibres. It is deftitute of odour, but to the tafte it is bitterith, and 
fomewhat aftringent. In decoéion its tafte approaches to that. of 
liquorice; fome however compare its flavour to that of bitter almonds.” 
It yields about a third part of its weight of extract by means of water, 
but by fpirit a very inconfiderable quantity is obtained. 
_ Since the year 1786 this plant has been much celebrated as a remedy 
in fyphilitic complaints. It was firft brought into notice by Profeffor 
Winterl, at Peft, who wrote to his friends in Vienna, that on the 
borders of Hungary it was in common ufe 4s a remedy for the vene- 
real difeafe ; in confequence of this information it was tried with 
fuccefs at the General Hofpital by Quarin.* From Vienna its repu- 
tation {pread over all Germany; nor does its character reft wholly 
on the teftimony of foreigners, as Dr. Crighton,t during his refidence 
at Vienna had occafion to witnefs its efficacy. This root is employed — 
in decoétion in the proportion of half an ounce to a pint of water, 
and taken warm night and morning: it is alfo occafionally to be ufed 
externally. ‘By perfevering a few weeks in the ufe of this decoétion, 
we are told that, without mercury, the various fymptoms of the moft 
inveterate fyphilis, as nodes, exoftofes, tophi, fcabies, venereal blotches, 
buboes, ulcers, &c. have been effeQtually cured. Befides the authors 
above noticed, we may remark, that the fubfequent publications of 
Endter,* Wegerich,” Girtanner,’ Werner,® Tietz," Carmanti,’ all tend 
in fome meafure to confirm the efficacy of this root. 
Its ufe is perfectly fafe ; and Carmanti and others found it necef- 
{ary to make the decoétion much ftronger than that before mentioned. 
*Profeflor Hunczowfky, though unable ‘to difcover its anti-venereal 
“powers, admits it to be an ufeful remedy in rheumatifm. _ 
_ _ Its fenfible effefts are an increafe of the cutaneous and urinary 
difcharges. | : | | 
» Endter. Diff de Aftrag. exfeapo. b. 12. 
Dr, C’s let rf hed b rey: Arima prac Zs 
} Dr. C’s letter is publithed by Girtanner, and in the London Med. «Ve Qe 405- 
© be ts © Diff. de Afrragali exfcapi radice. Erf. A sg VSS: 
* Abb. iiber d. vener. krankh. vol. i. p. 406. & eq. & See Diff de virtute Saponaria 
of. 1789. * Vide Diff. de virtute Aftrag. Sc. 1790. + Vide Opufe. therapeut. v. 2. 
PTEROCARPUS 
