THE MICROSCOPE. 



destroyed. If so it is a little surprising that only one layer of cells 

 should so uniformly remain.] 



The principal part of the root is composed of the bark consi.st- 

 ing of oval or hexagonal cells, thin walled, with no intercellular 

 spaces. The cells are loaded with starch granules. These starch 

 grains are very minute averaging -^i^-^f of an inch in diameter. 

 They are generally found in clusters of two, three or four, so 

 when separated they will have one or more plane faces with the rest 

 of the grain rounded. A minute depression or dark spot appears 

 near the center of a majority of the grains. These starch grains 

 are so different from the starches of the most of those substances 

 used as adulterants, as to be easily dis-tinguished. Some of the 

 cells of the bark are set apart to contain crystals in the 

 place of starch. These crystals are long and pointed at both ex- 

 tremities, and found in large bundles of from twenty-five to forty 

 lying side by side like Indian arrows. When confined within the 

 cell they are never found crossing or lying at angles. They are 

 crystals of calcium oxalate, (see c fig. 4.) 



The central part is composed entirely of woody fibre, and 

 medullary rays. The medullary rays consist only of nearly square, 

 thin walled cells loaded with starch. They are much smaller, though 

 resembling the cells of the bark. The woody portion consists of 

 thick walled, short, pointed cells, with pitted walls. They are 

 generally empty and it is the only part of the structure not loaded 

 with starch. There is no pith in the center of true ipecac, though 

 there is in the most of the substituted roots. The cortical portion 

 is by far the more active portion of the root. The woody cord 

 being almost inert. 



Thinking some of my readers, who had had little or no expe- 

 rience in studying the drugs as they appear in market, so withered 

 and dried, might like to examine ipecac, I will take a moment and 

 help them. A small fair looking piece of the ipecac root should be 

 placed in a dish of cold water for from ten to twenty hours — warm 

 water for a short time will do, though it should not be boiling. 

 Then with a sharp razor a section should be cut across the root just 

 as thin as possible. There is no necessity of cutting the section 

 complete, /. e., having the whole of the root in the section. Only a 

 very minute piece is needed, that will show both the bark and the 

 woody center. Probably several sections will have to be cut before 



