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PHARMACOGNOSY. 
with numerous root-scars or short roots ; fracture horny, 
somewhat mealy; internally, bark light or dark brown, 
1 to 2 mm. thick, cambium irregular, 5 to 7-angled, 
wood yellowish, in small bundles at the angles, pith 
light brown, about 2 to 6 mm. in diameter; odor very 
slight; taste sweetish, acrid, pungent, accompanied by 
a sensation of numbness and tingling. 
The shrunken, hollow, older tubers, together with 
the overground stem-remnants, should be rejected. 
Constituents. — A number of alkaloids have been 
isolated, of which aconitine is the most important; it 
occurs in rhombic prisms, and gives the characteristic 
properties to the root. The other alkaloids are amor- 
phous and non toxic, and of these isaconitine (napel- 
line) has been employed medicinally. 
Allied Plants. — Japanese aconite is obtained from 
Aconitum Fischeri ; the root is smaller but appears to 
contain similar constituents. Indian aconite, the prod- 
uct of Aconitum ferox, is a much larger root and some- 
what horny, owing to the gelatinization of the starch 
in its preparation for market, and apparently contains 
more napelline and less aconitine than the official drug. 
GELSEMIUM (Yellow Jessamine, Yellow Jasmine). 
The rhizome and roots of Gelsemium sempervirens 
(Fam. Loganiaceie), a perennial climber of the South- 
ern United States and Guatemala. The drug should 
be collected in autumn. 
Description. — Rhizome horizontal, cylindrical, usu- 
ally cut into pieces 9 to 20 cm. long, 4 to 15 mm. 
in diameter; externally light brown, longitudinally 
wrinkled, transversely fissured ; upper surface with 
few stem-scars ; under and side portions with numerous 
roots and root-scars ; fracture tough, wiry ; internally 
light brown or pale yellow, bark about 1 mm. thick, 
