5 2 9 
This plant is a native of America, and Rowers in July and Auguft 
According to Mr. Aiton it was firil cultivated in this country by Mr 
forfter in 
Th 
h this is the pi 
mt which is considered by Linnseus as furnifhing 
the officinal Sarfaparilla, yet there are other writers who contend thar 
tnis 
med 
is the root oi the S 
pera L. which is faid 
fpond with the Sarfaparilla in every - a -^-^- b 
w 
ho has inveftigated th 
<* fubied 
J 
> 
s 
5 
Profper Alp 
Sir Wm. Ford) 
h 
put 
beyond all doubt, by the appearance of the fmilax afpera, which he 
found in foft grounds in the ifland of Zant, (Zacynthus) that Europe, 
and the Grecian iflands in particular, furnifh the true Sarfaparilla, or 
Smilax afpera peruviana di£fa of d Bauhine." c But this fynony 
eferred to the Smilax Sariap 
by L 
whofe authority we 
have followed, along with Murray and Bergius, in preference to th 
of Alp 
Befid 
m 
<X 
y be remarked, that in Spain, Italy, and 
other parts of Europe, where the Smilax afpera grows in abundance 
the American Sarfaparilla is Hill employed, and imported 
expence 
genus, 
great 
It is probable however that thefe two fpecies of the fame 
d of the fame fubdivifion of caule 
have roots of fi 
appearance and properties 
we 
nguli 
hav* 
0, may 
already 
noticed that not only different fpeci 
fome instances, produce the fame di~ & 
but even different genera 
\ 
" This root has a fa 
fomewhat bitteriin tafte, and no 
fmell 
fo water it communicates a reddifh brown, to redified fp 
yellowifh 
menft 
d tindur 
An exti 
b 
g 
no confiderabl 
taft 
to either 
ad, obtained bv infpiffating the fp 
dure, has a weak fomewhat naufeous balfamic bitternefs, which 
followed by a flight but durable pungency 
The watery extrad 
much we 
d 
er quantity 
Sarfapaiilla was more than two centuries ago introduced into Sp 
a Vide Hort. Kew. 
S 
:e P. Alpinm Plant. Mgypt. p. 136 
landinus, Tobias Aldinus, Monardes, & 
equal efficacy. 
Alfo Fallopius, Amatus 
who all either think it 
L 
G 
of 
M. M. p. 586 
M 
: Med. Ohf. & Inq. vol. u p. 173 . , . . wmmm 
• C Bauhine ftates its nrft introduaion into Spain to be about the year 1573 
But 
New Spain to Madrid 
years before this time. The word Sarfaparilla is of Spanifh 
• narm autem vitem, & parilla viticulam fig 
H 
brum 
« Zarfa fiquidem 
C. Baub. L c. 
as 
