IIADIX HEMIDESML 423 



leum ether, but dissolves readily in water, alcohol, or chloroform; 

 it has a decidedly alkaline reaction. It would appear that it is a 



glucoside, 



Dita bark is stated^ to yield 5 per cent, of " ditaine " ; but this pro- 

 bably refers not to the pure alkaloid. 



Uses — The bark has been recommended as a tonic and antiperiodic, 

 being extravagantly praised as a substitute for quinine. 



ASCLEPIADE^. 



RADIX HEMIDESMI. 



Ilemidesmus Root, Nunnari Root, Indian Sarsaparilla. 

 Botanical Origin— Eemidesmus indicus R. Brown {Pcriploca 



arrow 



Indian 



The leaves are very 



diverse, being narrow and lanceolate in the lower part of the plant, and 

 broadly ovate in the upper branches.^ 



History— In the ancient Sanskrit literature the plant occurs 

 frequently under "the name Sdrivd, and its root under the name of 

 ^''anndri or Ananta-viul (i.e. endless root) has long been employed m 

 medicine in the southern parts of India.' Ashburner in 1831 w^ the 

 first to call the attention of the profession in Europe to its medicinal 

 value.* Tn IRHJ. ;f ^xrn= nrli-nU.iArl tn a, nlace in the British 1 harma- 



efficiency 



Description"— The root is in pieces of C inches or more in kngth; 

 it is cylindrical, tortuous, longitudinally furrowed, from -^ to ^ ot an 

 inch in thickness, mostly simple or provided with a few thin rootlets 

 emitting slender, branching woody aerial stems, ^ of an inch or less 

 thick. Externally it is dark brown, sometimes with a slight violet-grey 

 l^ue, which is particularly obvious in the sunshine. The transverse 

 section of the hard root shows a white mealy or brownish or somewMt 

 violet cortical layer, not exceding ^ of an inch m thickness, and a 

 yellowish woody column, separated by a narrow dark undulated cainpiai 

 line. Neither the wood nor the cortical tissue present a radiate 



thinner 



Obvious in the woody part. The extremely thm corky layer easi y 

 separates from the bark, which latter is frequently marked transveisely 

 V large cracks. The root, whether fresh or dried, has an agreeable 

 odour resembling tonka bean or melilot. The dried root ha^ a s;^ ectish 



taste with a ve?y slight acidity. The stems are almost tasteless and 



"lodorous. The root found in the English market is often of very bad 

 quality. 



' r»,W „y „,„,„, ,g,s, „,,, ,„„ over aj, 1»™5 » '7;Xd" n C^lrct 



' W in Bcntley .„<1 Triton, Med. Aat„i„e CoW, translation, but not mthat 



„ ■ If f4„'S„ root «..re. a. ... ""H^-^ S^i f JSi™ £ 



fl>- Iv.) which is astonishmgly like the Stewart and Mr. Brou^htou. 

 ^''"g xu fpiestion. He descril)es it more- 



