SMILAX SARSAPARILLA. 
213 
Sensible and Chemical Properties, &c. This root has 
a farinaceous and slightly bitter taste, it is inodorous. Its active 
properties are extracted, both by cold or boiling' water, and partially 
so by alcohol and ether j to water, it communicates a reddish brown 
colour, but gives little taste ; the infusion reddens litmus paper, and 
yields a precipitate with infusion of galls, which is again dissolved 
when the infusion is heated. Lime water, nitrate of mercury, and 
superacetate of lead, also produce precipitates, but is not affected by 
sulphate of iron, or any of the metallic oxides. The spirituous infusion 
is of a yellowish red colour, and becomes turbid on the addition of 
tvater: the extract obtained by inspissating the tincture, has a weak 
nauseous bitter taste, followed by a slight but durable pungency. 
The extract obtained from the watery infusion is larger in quantity, 
but weaker than that from the tincture. Ether takes up one part 
out of five of the powdered root. The tincture is of a golden yel- 
lowish colour, which when evaporated upon water, yields a small 
portion of resin. 
M. Galileo Pallota has obtained from the roots of sarsaparilla, a 
peculiar alkaloid substance, which he has named Parillina, in which 
he supposes the active properties of the roots to reside : this sub- 
stance is a white pulverulent salt, with a peculiar odour, and an 
austere, sHghtly astringent, nauseous taste ; it is light and perma- 
nent in the air ; it is insoluble in cold water, but soluble in hot ; 
soluble in hot alcohol, but insoluble in cold. It reddens turmeric 
paper, fuses at 212°, and is decomposed at a higher temperature ; 
is decomposed by strong sulphuric acid, but with the diluted acid, it 
forms a sulphate ; with the other acids it forms neutral salts.* The 
Jamaica sarsaparilla is said to contain the greatest quantity of solu- 
ble matter ; the Lisbon the least, and the bark of the Jamaica five 
times as much as the wood. 
We are told by most writers, that the virtues of the plant reside 
entirely in the cortical part of the root, the ligneous part being taste- 
less and inert ; f but we are told by Dr. Hancock, that " the medi- 
cinal properties of saraparilla arc not confined to the bark so 
called, but are found to reside almost equally in all parts of the 
root, as the cuticle, woody, and farinaceous portions. This has 
been fully proved in Demerara, by the results of their separate ad- 
ministration in actual disease. The same will be easily believed by 
* Joarnal de Sc^ence, p. 19. 
t Vide London Dispensatory, 4th edition — Edinburgh New Dispensatory, 11th 
edition, &c. 
VOL. II. 2 G 
