ROOTS AND RHIZOMES. 
159 
12 mm. thick ; externally dark brown, longitudinally 
wrinkled or nearly smooth, with irregular scars of bud- 
scales, node annulate from remains of bud-scales, upper 
part marked with a large circular depressed stem-scar 
and sometimes with buds, numerous root-scars at and 
near the lower portion of the nodes; fracture short; 
internally lemon-yellow, bark 1 mm. thick, wood yel- 
lowish, 0'5 mm. thick, pith large, white; odor slight; 
taste somewhat bitter and acrid. 
Constituents. — Resin 4 to 5 per cent., consisting of 
about one-half podophyllotoxin, which is crytallizable 
and a powerful purgative; podophylloresin ; podo- 
phyllinic acid and quercetin, to the latter of which the 
color is due. 
Allied Plants. — The rhizome of Podophyllum Emodi, 
a plant growing on the lower slopes of the Himalayas, 
is larger and yields twice as much resin, more than 
half of which consists of podophyllotoxin. 
SANGUIN ARIA (Blootlroot). 
The rhizome of Sanguinaria Canadensis (Fam. Papa- 
veracese), a perennial herb indigenous to the Eastern 
and Central United States and Canada. The rhizome 
should be collected in July or August and dried. 
Description. — Horizontal, irregularly cylindrical, 
flattened, sometimes branched, 2 5 to 6 cm. long, 5 to 
10 mm. in diameter; externally dark brown, slightly 
annulate, with few buds or stem-scars on upper sur- 
face and numerous root-scars on lower surface; fracture 
short and somewhat waxy; internally, bark dark brown, 
about 05 mm. thick, wood and pith with numerous 
reddish resin-cells ; odor slight ; taste bitter and acrid. 
Shriveled rhizomes which are gray internally and 
free from starch should be rejected. 
Constituents. — The drug contains a number of alka- 
