PHYTOLACCA 159 



124. BISTORTA. BISTORT. The rhizome of Poly'gonum bistor'ta Linne. 

 Habitat: Europe, Northern Asia, and Northwestern United States, in moist 

 places. An S -shaped rhizome (bent upon itself Distorted), flattened, 

 and transversely striate on upper side, and convex, with depressed root- 

 scars, on lower side; color dark reddish-brown, internally lighter; fracture 

 smoothish, showing a thick bark and a pith of about the same thickness 

 as the bark. Contains tannin, 20 per cent., and starch, with red coloring 

 matter. Tonic and astringent. Dose : 8 to 30 gr. (o. 5 to 2 Gm. ) , in decoction. 



CHENOPODIACE^. Goosefoot Family 



Weed -like herbs, with minute greenish flowers; ovary 2 -styled, i -celled, becom- 

 ing a i -seeded thin utricle or caryopsis. Generally bland and innocent. 



125. CHENOPODIUM. AMERICAN WORMSEED. The fruit of Chenopo'dium 

 ambro'sioi'des Linne, and variety anthelmin'ticum Gray. Off. U.S.P. 

 1890. A small, irregularly globular, seed-like fruit (utricle) not larger 

 than a pin-head and of a grayish-yellow or brownish color. By rubbing 

 the minute grains (fruit) in the hands, the capsular covering to the seeds 

 is broken off, when the shining, lenticular, blackish seeds appear and a 

 peculiar, strong, terebinthinate odor is rendered sensible. Taste pungent 

 and bitter. The variety Anthelminticum gives a similar fruit, but is more 

 aromatic. Constituents: Its medical properties depend upon a volatile 

 oil, 3.5 per cent. (125 a), in which it, as well as all the other parts of the plant, 

 abounds. Anthelmintic. Dose: 15 to 30 gr. (i to 2 Gm.). 



125 a. OLEUM CHENOPODII, U.S. OIL OF CHENOPODIUM. A thin, yellowish, 

 volatile oil, turning darker or brownish by age, having the peculiar odor and 

 taste of the fruit. It is composed of a hydrocarbon and a heavier oil. 

 Dose: 4 to 8 TTJJ (0.25 to 0.50 mil). 



PHYTOLACCACEjE. Pokeweed Family 



Tropical plants represented in the United States by Phytolacca decandra and 

 Rivinia Icevis. 



126. PHYTOLACCA, N.F. POKE ROOT 



The dried root of Phytolac'ca decan'dra Linn^, collected in autumn. 



BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Stem red, 3 to 8 feet high, smooth, with an 

 unpleasant odor. Leaves large, petiolate, alternate, ovate-lanceolate, entire, 

 cuspidate. Racemes lateral, opposite the leaves; calyx (perianth) white, 

 lobes ovate, rounded at the apex; ovary bright green, berries dark purplish- 

 red, pulpy. 



HABITAT. North America; naturalized in West Indies and Southern Europe. 



DESCRIPTION OF DRUG. A large root, often 25 to 75 mm. (i to 3 in.) in diameter, 

 but cut into various sized transverse or longitudinal slices for drying and 

 for the market; externally yellowish-brown, much wrinkled; internally grayish, 

 turning yellow on exposure. Structure loosely fibrous, almost ligneous, 

 alternating with dark, circular layers; a transverse slice shows on its face 

 numerous concentric circles formed by the projecting ends of fibers between 

 which the intervening parenchyma has shrunk; odor slight; taste sweetish, 

 then acrid. 



