RADIX KRAMERIyE. 81 



The same red substance may also be obtained, as stated by Rembold 

 (18G8), from the tannic acid of the root of tormentil (Potent ilia 

 lormentilla L.). 



As to rhatany root, Wittstein also found it to contain wax, gum and 

 imcrystalhzable sugar (even in the wood! according to Cotton'). Cotton 

 turtlier pointed out the presence in very minute quantity of an odorous 

 volatile, solid body, obtainable by means of ether or bisulphide of carbon ; 

 It occurs in a somewhat more considerable amount in the other sorts of 

 rhatany. The root contains no gallic acid. 



_ A dry extract of rhatany resembling kino used formerly to be 

 imported from South America, but how and where manufactured we 

 know not. It is however of some interest as containing a crystalline 

 r^mvns' ^^it<^«tein who discovered it (1854) regards as Tyrosin, 

 Qf"ii ' P^^^viously supposed to be exclusively of animal origin.^ 

 r-m3iS!^?" ^"^^ (^^^^^ assigned to it a slightly different composition, 

 1 • 1, • ' ^'^^^ ^^ ^'^^ ^^"^^ "^ Batcmhin. It dissolves in hot water 

 ^\^lch IS acidulated by a little nitric acid; the solution on boiling turns 

 ed, blue, and lastly green, and becomes at the same time fluorescent, 

 ivieitmair (1875) extracted 07 percent, of ratanhin from an old specimen 

 01 commercial extract of rhatany ; but he did not succeed in obtaining 

 iwrom other specimens. He also showed that ratanhin is not a con- 



flwf " !> . ^"°*^ °^ Krameria. The same substance has been abun- 

 mntly lound by Gintl (1868) in the natural exudation called Resina 

 -y^Ueiim pedra? which is met with in the alburnum of Ferrelrm 

 (tT-T% \ -^^lem., a large Brazilian tree of the order Zegumiuosw 

 \ loe iiojyhorece). Peckolt, who first extracted it, named it Avgelin ; 

 lorms colourless, neutral crystals yielding compounds both with 

 inri ic-^rl^ ^^^^®' ^^^^c^ ^a^^e been investigated by Gintl in 1869 



and 1870. 

 Uses 



m r ^^f^^ Rhatany is a valuable astringent, but is not much employed 

 iQ trreat Britain. i^ J 



Kra^J sorts of Rhatany-^Of the 20 to 25 other species or 

 roots ^\^^\ V °^ ^^^™ belonging to America, several have astringent 

 Peru ^^Tl! ^^^ ^^^^ collected and used in the place of the rhatany ot 

 • -ine most important of these drugs is that known as — 



Bra2i/'%» ^^*^^^^''^' — ^^ called from having been shipped from Para in 

 Onf. : . ?^S ^^ho described it in 1865 termed it Brazilian mmtanv. 



^^*« fol/^- ^^'^te^iAia des Antilles, It is a drug nearly resembling 



®^icks ^^y.^^,^' ^^^ of a darker and less purple hue; it is also in longer 

 havina ^^ ^^'^ remarkably flexible, and covered with a thick bark 

 ^''U?>rf> ^'^"^^^^^^^ transverse cracks/ It is apparently derived from the 

 dry disti^f'!^^^^^^'^^^^ ^^ Martius/ the root of which is collected in the 

 cTowinrr n,^ ^^^^ provinces of Bahia and Minas Geraes, that plant 

 f'om CW ' "^^S^^^^^ north-eastern Brazil It is also called Bhafany 



. Jdes 

 1868 



^ For further particulars, see Fliickiger, 



Gmelin CjL • , Pharrn. Joiirn., July 30, 1870. 84. 



J J^^ \oQ\\V '^' ^"i- (1859) 358. 5 ^^y^t. Mat Med. Bras., 1S43. 5 



•«* ' W,^A:„.-^?P^''onit in Pringsheim, gaard, Dicdonario de Mediciu 



,,T1 '^'i^r fiir ,„' ^ ^" ^^ lu irnngsueim, gaard, Uiccionario ae Meaicina, ±tio ae 

 *^^'^) 277^28=^^^^'^'^'"'^^^^*''^^ Botamk, ix. Janeiro, iii. (1865) 384.— Krameria argeiite.^ 



figured 

 (1874, pg. 71) tab. 28. 



F 



