CRUDE DRUGS. 531 



baccus and R. cuneifolius (Fam. Rosaceas). R. villosus occurs 

 in dry fields from Canada to Virginia and as far west as Kansas. 

 R. nigrobaccus or common blackberry (Fig. 232, C, D) is common 

 in woods in the Eastern and Central United States and extensively 

 cultivated. R. cuneifolius is the sand blackberry and is found in 

 sandy woods from New York to Florida and west to Missouri 

 and Louisiana. The bark should be collected in spring or autumn 

 and dried. 



Description. — In flexible, transversely curved or slightly 

 quilled pieces 4 to 20 cm. long, 3 to 5 mm. in diameter, bark 0.2 

 to 2 mm. thick ; outer surface light brown, longitudinally wrinkled, 

 with few- root-scars, periderm frequently exfoliated ; inner surface 

 light brown, coarsely striate longitudinally; fracture short, fibrous, 

 surface light brown, with oblique radiate wedges of bast; odor 

 slight ; taste astringent. 



Constituents. — Tannin 10 to 20 per cent. ; gallic acid about 

 0.4 per cent. ; a bitter, crystalline glucoside villosin somewhat 

 resembling saponin, about 0.8 per cent. ; starch ; calcium oxalate ; 

 ash about 3 per cent. 



Allied Plants. — Blackberries (the fruits of R. nigrobac- 

 cus, R. nigrobaccus sativus and R. villosus), Red Raspberries 

 (the fruit of R. IdcEus, a plant native to the old world). Black 

 Raspberries (the fruit of R. occidentalis, native of the Northern 

 United States) and Strawberries (the fruits of cultivated varie- 

 ties of Fragaria chilcensis, F. vcsca and F. vir giniana) all contain 

 about 2 per cent, of malic and citric acids, 4 per cent, of levulose, 

 about 4 per cent, of pectin substances and a small amount of 

 volatile oil to which their distinctive flavors are dtie. Blackberries 

 contain in addition considerable tannin and the wine made there- 

 from is valued in addition for its astringency. 



EUONYMUS.— WAHOO BARK.— The dried bark of the 

 root of Euonymus atropurpureus (Fam. Celastracese), a shrub 

 (p. 323) indigenous to the Central and Eastern United States and 

 Labrador. 



Description. — ^Usually in transversely curved pieces, occa- 

 sionally in single quills, 3 to 7 cm. long, 0.5 to 1.5 cm. in diam- 

 eter, bark 0.5 to i mm. thick ; very light ; outer surface light brown, 

 somewhat wrinkled, with scaly patches of soft cork, few lenticels. 



