ARISTOLOCHIA SERPENTARIA. ORD, VIII. Sarinentacere: TSS 
practice appears to be no longer continued, for. we have carefully, 
examined several parcels of snake-root, without discovering these 
roots intermixed with those of the others referred to by Dale.. We 
may notice however, that among these roots, some specimens of the 
whole plant were found, which differed from the annexed figure; 
having lance-shaped leaves. And this variety of Serpentaria seems 
to accord with that noticed by Alston, who says, “ the dried 
specimen I have of the whole plant, brought directly from America 
by Mr. Richard Lightbody, surgeon, agrees with none of them; 
(meaning the three mentioned by Dale) the leaves no way resem- 
bling a heart at the footstalk, being there all roundish, or obtusely 
pointed.’ The plant, from which the present figure was designed, 
is now growing in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, where it was 
~ introduced by Mr. William Young aboutthe-year 1770" 
~_ € Snake-root has an ar omatic smell, approaching to that of 
valerian, but more agreeable, and a warm bitterish pungent taste, 
which is not easily concealed or overpowered by a large admixture 
of other materials. It gives out its active matter both to water and 
rectified spirit, and tinges the former of a deep brown, the latter 
of an orange colour. Greatest part of its smell and flavour is 
carried off in evaporation or distillation by both menstrua: along 
with water there arises, if the quantity of the root submitted to the 
operation be large, a small portion of pale-coloured essential oil, 
of a considerable smell, but no very strong taste, greatest part of 
the camphorated pungency,. as well as. bitterness of the root, 
remaining in the inspissated extract. The spirituous extract is 
stronger than the watery: not so much from its having lost less in 
the evaporation, as from its containing the active parts. of the root 
concentrated into a smaller volume; its quantity amounting only 
to about one-half of that of the other.’ 
Ris root, as we have already observed, ‘was first recommended as 
» MM. volt. pi 52h. 
© We had this information from Mr. Aiton, who desires us to say, te by 
mistake, this plant was passed unnoticed in the Mort. Kew. — 
* Lewis, M. M. p. 602. 
