KAVA 153 



and do not give a wine-colored reaction with sulphuric acid. Not 

 infrequently a considerable amount of the rachis is present and this 

 contains a relatively small amount of the actiye principles. 



Literature. Zornig, Arzneidrogen. 



Kava. KAVA-KAVA, METHYSTICUM, KAV^E RHIZOMA OR RHI- 

 ZOMA KAWA-KAWA. The rhizomes of Piper methysticum (Fam. 

 Piperacese), a plant indigenous to and cultivated in the South Sea 

 Islands from Hawaii to the East Indies. The rhizome is largely used 

 in these countries in the preparation of an intoxicating drink, which is 

 prepared by macerating the drug in water. It has only recently 

 come into prominence again and is used to a limited extent in medi- 

 cine. Formerly the entire rhizome was found in commerce but at the 

 present time the drug is carefully prepared by first removing the 

 outer corky layer with roots, cutting it into short pieces, and 

 dried. 



Description. In irregular transverse and longitudinal pieces, 

 varying from 3 to 8 cm. in length and 1 to 5 cm. in diameter; exter- 

 nally light yellowish or grayish-brown, longitudinally wrinkled and 

 with large circular root scars; fracture of small pieces short and 

 mealy and of thicker pieces tough; inner surface light yellowish- 

 brown, with a large pith, a distinctly radiate xylem and occasionally 

 a thin bark; a drop of sulphuric acid applied to the surface produces 

 a deep cherry red color; odor slight; taste sweetish, pungent, fol- 

 lowed by a slight numbness. Pieces of the stem are more woody and 

 have a hollow pith. 



Inner Structure. Hypodermis of several rows of cells containing 

 a greenish-yellow or yellowish-brown resin; in the layers of collen- 

 chymatous cells occur stone cells and cells containing an amorphous 

 resinous substance; leptome composed of thin-walled more or less 

 collapsed cells; xylem composed of wood wedges with broad med- 

 ullary rays, the walls of the latter being more or less lignified and the 

 lumina containing a brownish amorphous resinous substance; pith 

 consisting of starch-bearing parenchyma in which are distributed 

 concentric fibrovascular bundles largely composed of tracheid-like 

 cells. The roots show a distinctly radiate structure, the medullary 

 rays being of a sclerenchymatous nature. 



Powder. (Fig. 69.) Light yellowish-brown; starch grains 

 numerous, single or 2- to 3-compound, the individual grains being 

 spheroidal or planoconvex, from 0.006 to 0.045 mm. in diameter and 

 marked by nearly central radial clefts or triangular fissures; lignified 

 elements consisting of scalariform or reticulate tracheae and scleren- 

 chymatous fibers; secretion cells containing either greenish-yellow, 



