NEUTRAL SUBSTANCES. 129 



10. Ipecacuana {callicocca ipecmuand), common ipecac, is the 

 root of a plant which grows in Brazil. The root is about the 

 thickness of a qnill, and varies considerably in color. When 

 pounded, it forms the mildest and safest emetic. 



11. Sarsaparilla {smilax sarsaparilla), is a native of South x\mer- 

 ica, and is used in medicine in certain chronic diseases, and in 

 syphilis. 



12. Ginger [amomum zingiber), is a plant found in India, and 

 well known to the ancients. It is a whitish root, but when 

 powdered as in common ginger, it is yellowish. This root 

 makes a very delicate preserve. 



13. Pomegranate tree [punica granatum),has been employed in 

 medicine. It contains a substance similar to mannite, which 

 has been called grenadia. 



14. Crameria ratanhia is a root found in South America, and 

 yields a powerful and safe astringent matter, used in njedicine. 

 The active principle exists in the bark of the root. 



II. Bulbs are the tubercles connected with the roots of 

 vegetables, analogous to buds. The following are the prin- 

 cipal bulbs or tubers,; which are used for food, in medi- 

 cine, and the arts. 



1. Potato. This is the bulb of the solanum tvherosum, which 

 is found wild in the mountains of Chili. They contain but 

 little nitrogen. They also contain the poisonous alkali, so- 

 lenin, which exists in the epidermis when they begin to germi- 

 nate. They are generally composed in one hundred parts, of 

 eight parts of fibrin, ten of starch, one of gum, acids and salts, 

 and eighty-one of water. Their uses as food are well known. 



2. Jerusalem artichoke is a bulbous root of the hdianthus tube- 

 rosus, a South American plant. It is very productive, of a 

 sweetish taste, very watery, and very valuable, as they will grow 

 on a light soil, and yield abundantly without much cultivation. 

 One acre sometimes yields sixty or seventy tons. It is singular, 

 that this valuable root is not more cultivated. 



3. Garlic is the bulbous part of the root of the allium sativum. 

 It is found in Sicily, is remarkable for its strong smell and taste, 

 and was celebrated by the ancients, both as an article of food, 

 and as a medicine. 



4. Onion is the root of the allium cepa^ a well known vegeta- 

 ble, used as food. 



5. Squill is the bulb of the scUla nmritima a native of Spain, 



11* 



