104 A COMPENDIUM OF 
known as Culvers root or Culvers physic. This 
perennial plant is to be found growing in many 
parts of the United States, and this species is 
no doubt indigenous. The leptandra attains a 
height of from 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) more 
or less; the stems are erect and bear large 
_lanciniate and serrated leaves, somewhat whorled 
in their arrangement. The flowers are white 
and funnel-shape in form and terminate in a 
spike; each flower has two stamens and one 
pistil, terminating at maturity in an ovate cap- 
sule containing many seeds. The rhizome, -as 
it occurs in commerce, is thin, flattened and con- 
torted; externally, brown in color, with many 
cup-shaped scars on the upper surface showing 
the insertion of the stems; the roots are 4 to 6 
inches (10 to 15 centimeters) long, and about % 
of an inch (10 millimeters) thick : it has little 
odor, but a bitter, acrid taste, and it is said to 
contain tannin, gum, saponin, mannit, and also 
6 per cent. of resi, besides its active principle, 
leptandrin, which must not be confounded with 
the leptandrin of the stores; the former is crys- 
talline in structure, and the latter an amorphous, 
dark-brown powder, which is really a powdered 
alcoholic extract. Leptandra is alterative chol- 
agogue and cathartic in its action. Dose of the 
powdered root 15 to 60 grains (1 to 4 grams), 
whilst that of leptandria of the stores from ¥% to 
2 grains, The solid and fluid extracts of lep- 
tandria are officinal, and may be given in doses 
of 1 to 2 grains of the former, and from 5 to 10 
drops of the latter (o0. 3 to 0.6 grams) every 3 0r 
4 hours until the effect is produced. 
