236 MEDICINAL PLANTS OF JAMAICA. 



face of the ground. The gatherers have only to loosen the 

 soil a little, and to draw out the long fibres with a wooden hook. 

 In this manner they proceed till the whole root is got out. It is 

 then cleared of the mud, dried, and made into bundles. The 

 sensible qualities of sarsaparilla are mucilaginous and farina- 

 ceous, with a slight degree of acrimony. The latter, however, 

 is so slight as not to be perceived by many ; and I am apt to 

 believe that its medicinal powers may fairly be ascribed to its 

 demulcent and farinaceous qualities. 



Since the publication of Sir William Fordyce's paper on 

 sarsaparilla in the Medical Observations and Inquiries, vol. i. 

 sarsaparilla has been in more general use than formerly. 



The planters in Jamaica supply their estates with great 

 quantities of it ; and its exhibition has been attended with 

 very happy consequences in the yaws and in venereal affec- 

 tions, as nodes, tophi, and exostosis, pains of the bones, and 

 carious or cancerous ulcers. 



Sir William Fordyce seems to think sarsaparilla a speci- 

 fic in all stages of lues ; but from an attentive and careful ob- 

 servation of its effects in some thousands of cases, I must de- 

 clare I could place no dependence on sarsaparilla alone. But 

 if mercury had formerly been tried, or was used along with 

 sarsaparilla, a speedy cure was soon effected. Where the 

 patients had been reduced by pain, disorder, and mercury, 

 I prescribed a decoction of sarsaparilla, and a table spoonful of 

 the powder of the same, twice a day, with the greatest success 

 in the most deplorable cases of lues, ill cured yaws, and cari- 

 ous or ill disposed sores, or cancers. 



There are only a few sarsaparilla plants in Jamaica ; but 

 it might be cultivated there, and save the planter an immense 

 expence. 



We have also the China root growing wild in Jamaica ; but 

 it is seldom used in practice. 



