RADIX KRAMERI^. 79 



salts of malic acid, yellow colouring matter, and suo-ar (7 per cent 

 according to Rebling, 1855). The Virginic Acid said by Quevenne to 

 be contamed in it, and the bitter substance Isolusiu mentioned bv 

 Feschier, are doubtful bodies. 



Uses— Senega is prescribed as a stimulating expectorant and 

 diuretic useful m pneumonia, asthma and rheumatism. It is much 

 esteemed in America. 



Adulteration— The drug is not liable to be wilfully falsified, but 

 through careless collecting there is occasionally a slight admixture of 

 other roots One of these is American Ginseng {Panax quinque folium 

 L.) a spindle-shaped root which may be found here and there both in 

 senega and serpentaria. The rhizome of Cypripedium puhescens WiUd 

 has also been noticed ; it cannot be confounded with that of Polygala 

 Senega The same may be said with regard to the rhizome of Cynan- 

 c^um Vtncetoxicum R. Brown (Asclejnas L., Vincefoxicum 



~>Mcinale 



RADIX KRAMERJyE. 



Ji^'dix RatanM(B, Wmtanhm v. BatJianice ; Wiatany or Ehatania 

 ^oot, Peruvian or Payta Phatany ; F. Eaci7ie de Ratanhia; G. 

 J^citanhiawurzel} 



sliT,^°*^-?i^^^ Origin— A^rawien'oe triandra Ruiz etPav., a small woody 

 hr.. V' T.^'^ upright stem scarcely a foot high and thick decumbent 

 oranches 2 to 8 feet long.^ It delights in the barren sandy declivities 



we Jjohvian and Peruvian Cordilleras at 8000 to 8000 feet above the 

 _ H-ievej, otten occurring in great abundance and j 



't^its red starlike flowers and silver-grey foliage. 

 Lima ^''^?n^^ gathered chiefly to the north, north-east, and east of 

 occa.in n ^^^f ^^bo, Huanuco, Tarma, Jauja, Huarochiri and Canta ; 



to bp 7 n V; *^® ^'S^ ^''^^^ *^^°"* 1'^^^ Titicaca. It appears likewise 

 frennpnfi [. ^"^ ^^^ northern part of Peru, since the drug is now 

 quently shipped from Payta. 



ory— Hipolito Ruiz,' the Spanish botanist, observed in 1784 



Wompn of TTnoT,^^^^ „„j t;„,„ r„ xi. i i •, ./• • r 



ground 



Huanuco 



the nrp 1- -^uanuco ana _Lima were m the habit of using for 



KvfK T^^.P^ "^^ *^®"" teeth a root which he recognized as that of 



of Europe. 

 t of the cariro 



Murn t ^"tj' ^"^ ^"^^^ ^ P^^^^t discovered by himself in 1779. On his 

 ^^henop -f ^^'^^^ ^^^ obtained admission for this root into Spain in 1796, 



The fi T""^ ^^'^?ually introduced into other countries ~ ~ 

 *^^a Span"^ h ^"PP^*^^ which reached England formed parr 01 tne cargo 

 "^encenip ^f P"i^®' ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ London drug sales at the com- 

 fieece xX "^ present century. Some feU into the hands of Dr. 



About 20^''''"'°''^''^^^ '^ *" ^^'"^ profession." 



years ago there appeared in the European market some 



.^lled at Hua^n J^"^ ".H^ *^^* *h«^ ^■"ofc is » JJem. de la R. Acad. med. de Madrid, 



r^ «f the S!,^-'' ""/"■"• '^he deriva- i. (1797) 349-366. 



»^.*ge js obacure ^^ ^^ °^ *^^*^ Q"i*^liua ^ii/ec/icina^ and Chirunjical Review, 



Flo ;_ T> - • Lond., xiii. (1806) ccxlvi. ; also Eeece, 



"U«, 



PartSo (i87g> Anmeu, Medicinal Diet, of Domtst. Jlcd., 1808. 



