RADIX VALERIANA. 37O 



r 



zone ; tlie medullary rays are not distinctly obvious. In old rootstocks, 

 sclerenchymatous cells are met with in the cortical tissue. 



The parenchyme of the drug is loaded with small starch granules, 

 brownish grains of tannic matter and drops of essential oil. Numerous 

 oil ducts are met with in the outer layer of the tissue. 



Volatile oil is contained in the dry root 



om 



to the extent of | to 2 per cent., yet on an average appears scarcely to 

 exceed 4 per cent. This variation in quantity is partly explained by 

 the mfluence of locality, a dry, stony soil yielding a root richer in oil 

 than one that is moist and fertile. In the latter the plant may be dis- 



devoid of runners. 



'foil 



Schoonbroodt' has shown that the most important influence is the 

 recent condition of the root. He states that if the root is submitted to 

 distillation when perfectly fresh, it yields a neutral water and a large 

 quantity of essential oil The latter has but a very faint odour, but by 

 exposure to the air it slowly acidifies, especially if a little alkali is 

 added, and acquires a strong smell. Valeviamc Acid which is thus 

 tormed amounts to 6 per mille of the fresh root. The dried root yields 

 a distillate of decided valerian odour, containing valerianic acid, but in 

 proportion not exceeding 4 per mille of the root calculated as fresh. 



Ihe oil of valerian is of a very peculiar yellowish or brownish, some- 

 times even almost a little greenish hue, and possessing the characteristic 

 odour of the drug. We found it to deviate the plane of polari;?ation 

 irom 11° to 13° to the left when examined by Wild's Polaristrobometer 

 in a column of 50 millimetres. By submitting it to fractional distilla- 

 tion we noticed"* that it affords a magnificent blue fraction. A superb 

 violet or blue colour is produced if one drop of the crude oil dissolved 

 in about 20 drops of bisulphide of carbon is mixed with 1 drop of nitric 

 acid 1-20 sp. gr. Other colorations arc produced if bromine or concen- 

 trated sulphuric acid are used ; ^ even the tincture of valerian displays 



^ ^ ^ ^.„.„ .., 1st. A hydro- 

 carbon, G">}1'\ boiling at 157° G, yielding a crystallized compound with 



similar reactions. 



(18 



HCl. 



acid 



H 



— ^^v. met wiui in oiu valerian tool, uvviug nu uuuui; vu vn^. o±u>. 

 oxidation of the compound C'"H''0. 3rd. There is also present a 

 crystallizable compound of the same composition, which is probably 

 Identical with the camphor of Dryobalanops aromatica (see our article 

 on Camphora). It would appear that this substance is of alcoholic 

 nature, being combined in the root with the S organic acids mentioned 

 nnder 2nd. On distilling, these compound ethers are resolved partly 

 jnto the alcohol C^'H'^O (borneol) and the acids. This decom|)osition 

 IS fully performed, if the root is macerated with alkaline water, and 

 ^nen, on distilling, a slight excess of sulphuric acid is added. 4th. At 



l!-^}f^''^^^'^nn6es, Paris, 1872, illustrated "- Arcldv tier PJiarmack, 209 (1876). 



"y 14 beautiful plates ' Jahresbericht of Wiggersancl Husemanii, 



an^ 1 oi"- "^^ ^^ecine de Bnixelles, 1867 IS7I . 462. 



"J , <faiiresOericM of VV^iffgers 

 inn. IRfiQ IT *^ 



and 



