RADIX SARSAPARILLiE. , 70^ 



the seeds, a very slight turbidity, or an insignificant precipitate is 

 observed. Yet on addition of sulphuric, or nitric, or hydrochloric acid, 

 an abundant precipitate of a beautiful yellow is at once produced. This 

 experiment succeeds with a few seeds, either enfcire or powdered ; it 

 may be conveniently applied for the detection of colchicum in any pre- 

 paration. We have ascertained that the yellow precipitate can be 

 obtained also with the other parts of the plant. If the yellow compound 

 is decomposed by sulphuretted hydrogen, the filtrate, after due concen- 

 tration, now precipitates immediately on addition of the iodohydrorgy- 

 rate, yet still more abundantly in presence of a mineral acid. 



The seeds contain traces of gallic acid, much sugar and fatty oil. Of 

 the last we obtained 6'6 per cent, by exhausting the dried seed with 

 ether. The oil conci'eted at — 8° C. Roseuwasser (1877) obtained 

 8-4 per cent, of the oil. 



Uses — The same as those of the corm. 



SMILACE^. 



RADIX SARSAPARILL^. 



Hadix Savzw vel Sarsce ; Sarsaparilla; F. Racine de Sahepareille ; 



G. Sarsaparillwwrzel. 



Botanical Orgin— Sarsaparilla is afforded by several plants of the 

 genus ^miZax, indigenous to the northern half of South America, and 

 the whole of Central America as far as the southern and western coast- 

 lands of Mexico. 



These plants are woody climbers, often ascending lofty trees by the 

 strong tendrils which spring from the petiole of the leaf Their stems 

 are usually angular, armed with stout prickles, and thrown up from a 

 large woody rhizome. The medicinal species inhabit swampy tropical 

 forests, which are extremely deleterious to the health of Europeans, and 

 can only be explored amid ffreat difficulties. This circumstance taken 



that their scan- 

 at different 



in connexion with the facts that the plants are dicECious, th 

 dent habit often renders their flowers and fruits (produced ^ 



seasons) inaccessible, and that their leaves vary exceedingly inborn 

 explains why we are but very imperfectly acquainted with the botanical 



sources of sarsaparilla. , , . f j-.f..;pf 



. It is not too much to assert that the sarsaparilla plant of no distnct 

 w Tropical America is scientifically well known. The species moreov or 

 to which the drug is assigned, have for the most part ^^en founded upon 

 characters that are totaUy insufficient, so that after an attente study 

 of herbarium specimens, we are obliged to regard as sfcdl doubtful se^ eral 

 of the plants that have been named by previous writers. , 



^ Having made these preliminary remarks, we will enumerate tiie 

 plants to which the sarsaparilla of commerce has been ascribed. 



bouth,r„ Europe, is a plant which presents in herbana, it ~ ^^'^' "^^"^ 

 «ueh diversity of foliage, that if like its referred to several species, 

 ^ngeners o£ Tropical America, it were 



