IO4 LILIACE.E 



STRUCTURE. The tissue is chiefly parenchyma, traversed by yellowish fibro- 

 vascular bundles, most abundant just within and near the nucleus sheath. 

 The cells of the parenchyma are filled with starch and volatile oil, the latter 

 most abundant in the cortical layer. The spongy appearance of the central 

 portion is due to large air-cells, as in all aquatic plants. 



CONSTITUENTS. Volatile oil I to 2 per cent., having the smell and taste of calamus, 

 a bitter glucoside termed acorin (syrupy, yellow liquid), calamine, choline, 

 resin, starch, and mucilage. 



Isolation of Acorin. A concentrated decoction of the drug is deprived of gum 

 by precipitating with alcohol. The liquid is then treated with lead subacetate. 

 The lead is removed by HaS. The resulting liquid, after neutralization, is shaken 

 with chloroform, which leaves on evaporation a thin, yellow, aromatic liquid, 

 acorin. This splits into oil and sugar by hydration; by oxidation the resin 

 and acoretin are obtained. 



ACTION AND USES. Tonic and carminative, and a feeble aromatic stimulant. 

 Dose: 15 to 60 gr. (i to 4 Gm.). 



53. SYMPLOCARPUS. SKUNK CABBAGE. The rhizome and roots of an in- 

 digenous herb, Symplocar'pus foe'tidus Salisbury, so called from the disagree- 

 able odor (depending upon a volatile oil) which is emitted by all parts of the 

 fresh plant, and by the dried rhizome when triturated. It has an acrid taste, 

 but the acrid principle has not yet been isolated. Stimulant, antispasmodic, 

 and narcotic, causing nausea and vomiting, together with vertigo, headache, 

 and dimness of vision. It has been used in asthma, whooping-cough, nervous 

 and convulsive affections, and hysteria; also in chronic catarrh, chronic 

 rheumatism, and bronchial and pulmonary affections. Dose: 10 to 20 gr. 

 (0.6 to 1.3 Gm.). 



54. ARUM. INDIAN TURNIP. The corm of Arisae'ma (Arum) triphyl'lum 



Torrey (Jack-in-the-pulpit or wake-robin). Habitat: North America, in 

 rich woods. Depressed-globular, about 25 to 50 mm. (i to 2 in.) in diameter, 

 covered with a loose, wrinkled, brown epidermis; it often comes into market 

 in white, starchy, transverse slices; inodorous; very acrid. This acrid 

 principle is volatile, the fully dried corm being nearly inert. Arum has been 

 used as a stimulant to the secretions in asthma, whooping-cough, chronic 

 catarrh, and rheumatism. Dose: 8 to 15 gr. (0.5 to I Gm.). 



55. ARIS^EMA DRACONTIUM Schott. GREEN DRAGON. Habitat: United 



States, west to Kansas. (Corm.) Diaphoretic and expectorant in dry, 

 hacking coughs attended with irritation. Dose of fl'ext.: I to long (0.065 

 to 0.6 mil). 



COMMELINACR&;. Spiderwort Family 



56. COMMELINA. ASIATIC DAY FLOWER. From Com'melina com'munis. 



This plant has recently been brought to notice as one of medicinal value. 

 It is claimed to have peculiar hemostatic and healing properties. An account 

 of the plant and a report of a chemical examination of it is found in the "Am. 

 Jour, of Pharm.," July, 1898, p. 321. 



BROMELIACE^E. Pineapple Family 



57. ANANASSA. PINEAPPLE. The fruit of Ananas'sa sati'va Schultz. The 



fresh'juice contains the digestive ferment, bromelin, which is a powerful and 

 rapid digestant of albumen, both animal and vegetable, acting in the presence 

 of^either acid or alkaline carbonates, but most energetically in neutral solu- 

 tions. It is more nearly related to trypsin than to pepsin. 



LILIACE^E. Lily Family 



Herbs (rarely woody) with flowering stems springing from bulbs or corms 

 with the leaves parallel-nerved, except in the tribe Smilaceae, where they are netted- 



