68 ARUia. No.ii.- 



A. esculentiitn (notwithstanding their caustic pun- 

 gency) by long coction ; they were eaten by the In- 

 dians roasted and otherwise. 



Locality — All over North America in woods : it 

 is said to extend to South America as far as Brazil ; 

 but probably a different species is found there. All 

 soils and regions appear to suit this plant : it delights 

 however in good, rich, and shady grounds. 



Qualities — The whole plant, and particularly the 

 root, is violently acrid, pungent, and even caustic to 

 the tongue, but not to the skin. It burns worse than 



or Cayenne pepper. This active princi- 



icum 



At 01 



having no affinity with water, alcohol, oil or acids, 

 and becoming an inflammable gas by heat or distilla- 

 tion. The roots yield one fourth of their weight of a 

 pure amylaceous matter, like starch or arrow-root, 

 or a fine white delicate nutritive fecula, by the same 

 process as Cassava or Jatropha manihot. 



PROPERTIES— Powerful acrid, stimulant, inci- 

 sive, restorative, expectorant, calefacient, carmma- 

 tive and diaphoretic. The fresh roots are too caus- 

 tic to be used internally, unless much diluted, and 

 when dry they are often inert, unless they have been 



san 



It 



must 



lasse*^, since it does not impart its pungency to any 



the 



to a pulp, with three times their weight of sugar, 

 thus forming a conserve, Uie doac of which is a tea 

 spoonful twice a day. 



