BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 87 
emetic in its action. The asarum is found in 
all parts of the North American Continent. 
This little perennial sends up from its rhizomous 
root stock a stem bifurcated, which bears upon 
the summit of each bifurcation a kidney-shaped, 
pubescent leaf, of a pale-green color. The flower 
is white, with a slight purple tinge, campanu- 
late in shape, with twelve stamens and one pis- 
til. The rhizome, as it occurs in the stores, is 
about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long, more or 
less, and about % of an inch (3 millimeters) in 
diameter, usually much contorted and of a dark- 
brown color externally; breaks with an abrupt 
fracture, and presents, under a glass of fine 
magnifying power, an internal arrangement 
made up of woody bundles, and quite a large 
medulla. The taste is bitter, aromatic and pe~ 
culiar; odor aromatic and agreeable; contains 
starch, sugar, mucilage, resin, and a volatile oil 
which is said to be a combination of asarene, 
asarol, and an ether. Asarum is carminative, 
Stimulant, and diaphoretic, but at this time it is 
not recognized as officinal, and yet the rhizome 
is very generally kept in the stores. The name 
is derived from the Latin asarum, wild spike- 
nard, and acca, a berry. There is a very ele- 
gant compound syrup adopted by the District 
of Columbia pharmacists, and dispensed by them 
as a vehicle for more nauseous remedies, or as 
a remedy in whooping cough, etc. The asarum 
is a simple, innocuous drug, and can be given 
in doses of 15 to 30 grains (z to 2 grams) and 
repeated. I was told by a very intimate friend 
and an eminent practitioner of medicine, that 
used as an enema it was the best thing he had 
tried for rectal worms (Ascarides). 
