RADIX SARSAPARILLiE. 709 



place them in two groups, — the mealy, or those of which starch is a 

 prevalent constituent, and the non-mealy^ or those in which starch 

 exists to a comparatively small extent. 



r 



(A.) Mealy Sarsaparillas. 



1. Hondni'as Sarsaparilla — This di'ug is exported from Belize. 

 It is made up in hanks or rolls about 30 inches long and 2| to 4 inches 

 or more in diameter, closely wound round with a long root so as to 

 form a neat bundle. The hanks are united into bales by laige pieces 

 of hide, placed at top and bottom, and held together with thongs of the 

 same, further strengthened with iron hoops. 



The roots are deeply furrowed, or sometimes plump and smooth, 

 more or less provided with hectrd or rootlets. In a very large propoi'- 

 tion of their length they exhibit when cut a thick bark loaded with 

 stai'ch ; yet in those parts which are near the rhizome the bark is 

 brown, resinous, and non-amylaceous. They are of a pale brown, 

 sometimes verging into orange. But the drug is subject to great 

 variation, so that it is impossible to lay down absolutely distinctive 



chai-acters. 



The annual imports into the United Kingdom of sarsaparilla from 

 British Honduras during the five years ending with 1870 averaged 

 about 52,000 lb. ' 



2. Gkmtemala Sarsaparilla—This sort of sarsaparilla, which fin^t 

 appeared in commerce about 1852, resembles the Honduras kind m 

 many of its characters, and is packed in a similar manner. But it has 

 a more decided orange hue; the roots as they start from the rhizome 

 are lean, shrunken, and but little starchy, but they become gi^aduay 

 stouter (VV inch diam.), and acqaii-e a thick bark, which is internally 

 very white and mealy. There is a tendency in the bark ot tnis 

 sarsaparilla to crack and split off, so that bare spaces showing tixe 



central woody column are not uufrequent. r ^i, i f fV., 



According to Bentley,^ who examined specimens ot the plant, tnis 

 drug is derived from Srullux papyro.cm; we are not prepared to agree 

 in this opinion. 



, 3. BrazUkm, Para or Lisbon Sarsaparilla -Though tovmedj 



held in Ingh esteem Brazilian sarsaparilla is ^'f^T.^'^^Xd in a 

 England, and is rarely seen in the London market.- It is P'^c'-ea in a 

 very distinctive manner, the roots being tightly compressed '"^.^^te " 

 ^liical bundle, 3 feet or more iu length and about 6 i^^^hes in diameter, 

 fimily held together by the flexible stem of a bignoniaceous plant, clo.el> 

 wound round them, the ends being neatly shaved oti. 



(B.) Non-mealy Sarsapunllas. 

 4- Jamaica Sar^atMrilhi-To the English druggist this is the most 

 i^porttrvtSetyriTtliat which appeart to have tl- g-^^^ dai^- 

 to possess some inedieinal activity, and it is the «f/f ^, ^^ ^^^^^ 

 J^ntlsh Pharmacopoeia. Although constantly <^^"«'*/«!^.^ ?" '23i 

 nlla, it is well known tliat it only bears the name of Jamaica thiou^li 



