30 KRAMERIA TRIANDRA 



Rhatany root, as found in commerce, either consists of long, 

 cylindrical, simple or branched pieces, which vary in thickness 

 from to 4 an inch, or more ; or more frequently of a short 

 thick portion which is generally much knotted, and as large as a 

 man's fist, to which is attached a variable number of short, stumpy, 

 more or less broken branches. The former is sometimes known 

 as long rhatany, and the latter as short or stumpy rhatany ; the 

 first sort is preferred. These differences in the appearance of 

 rhatany are caused by the varying modes in which the roots are 

 collected. Thus if the root-diggers bestow the needful care in 

 removing the roots from the soil, the long variety will be 

 obtained ; while if the roots are torn from the soil with force, 

 the short or stumpy variety is the result. Rhatany root consists of 

 a thin, readily separable bark, varying in thickness from about ^ 

 to j 5 of an inch, rough and scaly except in the smaller pieces, 

 and of a dark reddish-brown colour externally, and bright 

 brownish red on its inner surface ; and of a very hard central 

 woody portion, of a brownish- or reddish-yellow colour. The 

 bark breaks with a somewhat fibrous fracture, is tough and 

 difficult to powder, and has a strong, purely astringent taste. 

 The wood is almost tasteless. When chewed rhatany root tinges 

 the saliva red. Neither bark nor wood has any marked odour. 

 The virtues of rhatany essentially reside in the bark, and hence 

 the smaller pieces are to be preferred, as they have the largest 

 proportion of bark. 



The essential constituent of rhatany is a form of tannic acid, 

 which is called Rhatania-tannic Acid or Krameria-tannic Acid. 

 It was found by Wittstein in the bark in the proportion of about 

 20 per cent. It is closely allied to catechu-tannic acid. Rha- 

 tania-tannic acid is an amorphous powder ; its solution affords a 

 dark greenish precipitate with perchloride of iron, but it is not 

 affected by tartar emetic. By the action of dilute acid it is 

 decomposed into a cry stalli sable sugar and Ratanhia-red, which 

 latter substance may also be found ready formed in the bark. 

 No gallic acid is present in rhatany root. 



Formerly an extract of rhatany was occasionally imported 



