106 A COMPENDIUM OF 
0.017 milligrams). The officinal preparations 
are the abstract, extract, fluid extract and the 
Resina Podophylli. Podophyllum, or commonly 
known as mandrake, is said to be the Man- 
dragora of the ancients, and tradition asserts 
that it best flourished under the gallows, and 
that the root resembled a man in shape, and 
_when dug from the ground it had the power of 
uttering the most terrible shrieks, and of trans- 
forming men into beasts, etc. 
Rubia Tinctoria, Madder, Dyers’ Madder.— 
Natural order Rubiaceze. This is a herbaceous 
perennial plant about 3 feet (90 centimeters) in 
height, native of Europe, with stellate leaves in 
whorls, corolla wheel-shaped, with a four-parted 
calyx tooth-shaped; flowers of a greenish-yel- 
low, fruit two-seeded, in separate one-seeded 
capsules, indehiscent, seed black and berry- 
like. The root is a rhizome, creeping and with 
many long cylindrical branches, varying from 
the size of a goose quill to that of the little fin- 
ger, of a red-brown color on drying. When 
found (not often) in the stores it is usually in a 
coarse powder, of a deep-red color; little or no 
odor, with an aromatic astringent taste. Usu- 
ally collected in the third summer of its growth. 
Madder contains five distinct coloring principles, 
of which alizarine is the most important; this is 
a fine coloring matter, producing a yellow. 
Madder was at one time in high repute as an 
emmenagogue, but at present is only used as a 
dye and coloring. An artificial alizarine is now 
obtained from Anthracene, a hydrocarbon, the 
value of which is now estimated at many mil- 
lions of dollars annually. 
