BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, . 125 
from the species known as the Eulophia Cam- 
pestris; many species of the same plant are 
found growing in this country, from New Eng- 
land to Kentucky. Salep and its species are 
small plants or herbs with a stem 6 to 18 inches 
(15 to 45 centimeters) high, with pink, purple 
or red ringent (gaping mouth or lip); flowers 
with the lip turned downward and bearing a 
honey gland underneath. Salep has an oblong 
or ovate tuber, about an inch long (25 centime- 
ters). Externally of a brown-yellow color ; 
white internally, displaying under the magni- 
fying glass many woody bundles, and the ma- 
trix loaded with starch and mucilage; when 
ground the powder is of a grayish-yellow color. 
Salep contains 48 per cent. of mucilage, 27 per 
cent, of starch, and the balance made up of 
sugar and albumen. Salep is rarely, if ever, 
found in the drug store of the present, but is 
confined to the fancy grocer; in fact, it is more 
an article of diet than a medicine, but it was for 
centuries highly extolled as an aphrodisiac. Sa- 
lep is protective and nutritious, like arrow root, _ 
and may be given in the same way, prepared by 
macerating the powder in cold water and then 
adding boiling water. 
