ARISTOLOCHIA SERPENTARIA. 
rising from an oblong, angular, hairy, inferior germen. The 
seeds are flat and ooutiined in a six-celled hexagonal cap- 
sule. 
Dried Serpentaria-root is brought to market in bales con- 
taining about one hundred pounds, and it is frequently mixed 
with the roots of the Spigelia Marylandica. This is an impor- 
tant fact, and renders great caution necessary in the purchase 
of snakeroot, particularly when brought from those districts 
in the Southern States where the Serpentaria and the Spige- 
lia grow together in great abundance. When the stems are 
mixed with the roots, it is easy to detect the sophistication 
by the eye, but it will require a closer examination to distin- 
guish the roots by themselves. Their appearance is very 
similar, and it is only by the taste that the genuineness of the 
snakeroot can be known. 
The plant grows plentifully throughout the Middle, South- 
ern, and Western States, abounding particularly in the 
valley of the Ohio, and in the mountainous regions of the 
interior. The root is collected in Western Pennsylvania and 
Virginia, in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, and is brought to 
market often mixed with the leaves and stems of the plant, 
and with dirt from which it has not been properly cleansed at 
the time of collection. 
CHEMICAL AND MEDICAL PROPERTIES AND USES. 
a SnakERooT has an aromatic odor, not unlike that 
of valerian, and a sharp, warm, bitter, re- 
sembling in some degree that of camphor. lees 
all the sensible qualities of the root, Naan a gers su as 
brown infusion, which is not altered by sulphate of iron or 
zine, nitrate of silver, oxymuriate of mercury, tartarized anti- 
mony, the mineral acids and the alkalies, nor is it precipitated 
by gelatine or tannin, The superacetate of lead throws 
down a flocculent precipagle, which is not soluble in acetic 
acid, showing the presence of mucus. With alcohol it af- 
fords a bright greenish tincture, which is rendered turbid by 
the addition of water. According to Bucholz, a German — 
chemist, the components of Serpentaria are volatile oil .05, 
yellow gum resin 2.85, extractive 1.7, gammy extract Bh 
woody fibre 62.4, and water 14.55 in 1000 parts... 
The analysis of M. Chevallier gave the following 
one ahs a al bitter principle soluble in wa 
, resi , fecula, ay coon’ ulbumen, 
