The characteristically sweet taste of 

 the licorice roots and rhizomes is due 

 to glycyrrhi^in and some sugar. Gly- 

 cyrrhizin is a glucoside which splits up 

 into glucose, a substance closely akin 

 to sugar, and glycyrretin, a bitter sub- 

 stance. The extract of licorice is pre- 

 pared by crushing the fresh roots or 

 rhizomes, then boiling repeatedly in 

 water, expressing and then condensing 

 the sap in copper kettles until it is 

 quite hard when cooled. In Calabria 

 the condensed juice, while still warm 

 and pliable, is rolled into sticks and 

 stamped with the name of the locality 

 where it was prepared. In those coun- 

 tries where the fresh roots cannot be 

 obtained the dried roots are crushed 

 and then treated as above, The lico- 

 rice sticks prepared in this country usu- 

 ally have stamped upon them the in- 

 itials of the manufacturing firm. Much 

 of the evaporated juice is also placed 

 upon the market in large lumps or 

 masses. The pure licorice extract, 

 prepared as indicated above, is a glossy 

 black, very brittle, with a glassy frac- 

 ture. For shipment it must be care- 

 fully packedto prevent its being broken 

 into small bits. To reduce the brittle- 

 ness various substances are added as 

 starch and gum arabic. 



Licorice extract is a highly appre- 

 ciated sweetmeat but unfortunatel)' it 

 is often grossly adulterated with dex- 

 trin, starch, sugar, and gum arabic. 

 Many of the licorice drops, etc., con- 

 tain very little licorice, but even the 

 poorest article seems to be highly 

 prized by the average child. Licorice 

 extract in mass is known as licorice 

 paste and is extensively employed in 

 preparing chewing tobacco and in 

 brewing beer, to which substances it 

 imparts a peculiar flavor and a dark 

 color. 



Licorice extract is a popular remedy 

 for colds and sore throat, though its 

 curative powers are certainly very 

 slight. Physicians make extensive use 

 of it to disguise the disagreeable taste 

 of medicines, such as quinine. It isanin- 

 gredient of many cough remedies. The 

 finely powdered roots are dusted over 

 pills to prevent their adhesion and to 

 give them consistency. 



Licorice roots have the same proper- 



ties as the extract and may be similarly 

 used. Many children prefer the dried 

 roots obtained at the drug store to the 

 stick licorice or the licorice drops. 

 This choice is in many respects a good 

 one; the roots are at least not adul- 

 terated, but of course only the juice 

 should be swallowed — a precaution 

 which it is not necessary to emphasize — 

 as the fibrous nature of the wood makes 

 it difficult to swallow. Even if a little 

 of it is swallowed no particular harm 

 would be done, as it is not in the least 

 poisonous, though the fibers may act as 

 an irritant to the stomach. 



As already indicated there are several 

 species of Glycyrrhiza of which the 

 roots and rhizomes are used like those 

 oi G. glabra, hxiX., in addition to these 

 there are a number of other plants des- 

 ignated as licorice. Indian licorice or 

 the wild licorice of India {Abrus preca- 

 torius), is a woody twining plant grow- 

 ing quite abundantly in India; it is 

 sometimes substituted for true licorice. 

 Prickly licorice {Glycyrrhiza echmata) 

 resembles true licorice quite closely. 

 The wild licorice of America {Glycyr- 

 rhiza lepidotd) is found in the North- 

 west. Its roots are quite sweet and 

 often used as a substitute for true lico- 

 rice. The European plant known as 

 "rest harrow" ( Ononis spi?iosa), so-called 

 because its tangled roots impede the 

 progress of the harrow, has roots with 

 an odor and taste resembling licorice. 

 The roots are extensively employed by 

 the country practitioners of France and 

 Germany in the treatment of jaundice, 

 dropsy, gout, rheumatism, toothache, 

 ulcers, and eruptive diseases of the 

 scalp. The name, wild licorice, also 

 applies to Galium circaezans and Galium 

 lanceolatum on account of the sweetish 

 roots. The wild licorice of Austra- 

 lia is Tencritim corymbosum. Licorice 

 vetch {Astragalus glycyphyllus) has 

 sweet roots. Licorice weed {Scoparia 

 dulcis) is a common tropical plant 

 which also has sweet-tasting roots. 



Description of Plate. — A, flower- 

 ing portion of plant; i, flower; 2, 3, 4, 

 parts of the flower; 5, stamens; 6, 

 stigma; 7, ovary; 8, fruit; 9, one valve 

 of pod with seeds; 10, ii, 12, different 

 views of seed. 



89 



