242 



BARKS 



Constituents. Simaruba Jbark contains 0'05 to O'l per cent, of a 

 colourless, crystalline bitter principle possessing neither alkaloidal 

 nor glucosidal properties and quite distinct from 

 other crystalline bitter principles occurring in plants 

 of the same natural order (e.g. samaderin, quassiin) . 

 It also contains a tasteless crystalline substance, 

 fixed oil, a yellow resin, and traces of a fluorescent 

 substance (Gilling, 1908). 



Use. Simaruba bark was formerly used for 

 dysentery ; it is now seldom employed in European 

 medicine. 



Note. The simaruba bark at present (1920) is the 

 Maracaibo variety. It is much harder and less fibrous 

 than the true ; the outer surface is hard and finely marbled 

 yellowish and white ; the section shows abundant groups 

 of sclerenchymatous cells in the cortex and bast ; taste 

 very bitter. 



EUONYMUS BARK 



(Cortex Euonymi) 



Source, &C. Euonymus bark is the dried root- 

 bark of the wahoo tree, Euonymus atropurpureus, 

 Jacquin (N.O. Celastrinece), a tall erect shrub with 

 small dark purple flowers succeeded by crimson 

 fruits ; it is common in the eastern United States, 

 extending westward to Wisconsin and southward 

 to Florida. The root-bark is alone official, but the 

 stem-bark also is collected. 



FIG. 122. Euony- 

 mus root-bark. 

 Natural size. 



Description. Euonymus root-bark occurs in small, more or less 

 irregular quilled or curved pieces, not usually exceeding 8 cm. in 

 length or 12 mm. in width. The outer layer is a soft, spongy, finely 

 fissured cork, of a light ash-grey colour 

 marked with darker lines or patches 

 (due to adhering particles of earth) and 

 occasional small transverse scars. The 

 inner surface is of a pale tawny yellow 

 or buff colour and nearly smooth ; occa- 

 sionally a thin shaving of pale yellow, 

 dense wood adheres to it, indicating 

 that the bark is separated with difficulty 

 from the root. 



It breaks with a very short fracture, 



and if the two pieces be separated ^very gently^ from one "another 

 delicate silky threads will be seen connecting them ; these threads 

 consist of a substance resembling caoutchouc or guttapercha which 



FIG. 123. Euonymus root-bark. 

 Transverse section. Magnified. 

 (Planchon and Collin.) 



