156 AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS. 
17. Asparagus racemosus, Welld., (Syn. A. fasciculatus, R.Br. ; 
Asparagopsis floribunda, Kunth; A. Browne, Kunth; A. 
Decaisnet, Kunth) ; N.O., Liliacez, B.F1., vii. 17. 
The roots of this plant are used medicinally by the natives of 
India, but they appear to be wholly unworthy of notice. (Pharm. 
of India.) An account of some of the uses to which it is put by 
them will be found in Drury’s Useful Planis of India, p. 56. 
Queensland and Northern Australia. 
18. Atherosperma moschata, Zaéz//., N.O., Monimiacee, B.FI., 
v., 284. 
“‘ Sassafras”’ (see Doryphora). 
The bark contains an agreeable bitter, of much repute as a 
tonic amongst» sawyers. It is called Native Sassafras from the 
odour of its bark, due to an essential oil closely resembling true 
sassafras in odour. Bosisto likens the smell of the inner bark to 
new ale, and says that a decoction from this part of the tree is a 
good substitute for yeast in raising bread. It is diaphoretic and 
diuretic in asthma and other pulmonary affections, but it is known 
more especially for its sedative action on the heart, and it has been 
successfully used in some forms of heart disease. 
It is prepared of the strength of 4 ounces of the bark to 20 
ounces of rectified spirit, and is given in doses of 30 to 60 drops, 
usually on a lump of sugar. The volatile oil of the bark alone is 
said to have a lowering action on the heart. See “ Volatile and 
Essential Oils.” 
The bark has been examined by N. Zeyer, who has found in 
it volatile oil, fixed oil, wax, albumin, gum, sugar, starch, butyric 
acid, an aromatic resin, iron-greening tannic acid, and an alkaloid 
which he designates atherospermine. The lead-compound of the 
tannic {acid was obtained by. precipitating the clarified aqueous 
decoction of the bark with lead acetate, digesting the well-washed 
precipitate with acetic acid, and exactly saturating the filtrate with 
ammonia. The greyish-yellow precipitate thus formed gave by 
analysis, after drying, numbers corresponding to the formula 
Cy Hy PbO.” 
