ON HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS. 
113 
some parts of the country as a tonic, in the form of tincture, and 
in infusion as a topical application in opthalmia and ulcerous in- 
flammations. Its late successful exhibition by some of our city 
practitioners in inflammations of the mucous membrane, has led 
me to choose it as the subject of my thesis, with a view to inves- 
tigate its chemical constituents, by means of a proximate 
analysis. 
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION. 
The Hydrastis Canadensis is an herbaceous plant belonging to 
the natural order of Ranunculacecz, and to Polyandria Polygyria 
of the Linncean System. " Its name is said to be derived from two 
Greek words, iSup water, and caw to act, in allusion to the active 
properties of the juice." 
This plant is from six to eight inches in height, with a straight 
hairy stem, bearing two unequal leaves, the lower one petiolate, 
cordate, palmate, five to seven lobed, the lower one sessile and 
three lobed. The flower is solitary pedunculate, with three cadu- 
cous reddish-white petals. The fruit is a compound berry of a red 
color, like that of the unripe blackberry. The root, which is the 
part used in medicine, is an oblong, thick and knotted rhizoma, of 
a yellow color, from which long fibres proceed. It has a strong 
narcotic odor, and an intensely bitter taste. The Hydrastis is in- 
digenous to North America, rather rare in the Northern States, but 
found abundantly beyond the Alleghanies. 
CHEMICAL EXAMINATION. 
Two ounces of the bruised root were macerated in cold water 
for twenty -four hours, then, placed in a displacement apparatus 
and half a pint of liquid obtained. This was of a deep brown 
color, possessing the intense bitter taste and strong narcotic odor 
of the plant. Neither litmus nor turmeric papers were affected by 
it. Pieces of linen rags dipped in the liquid were instantly dyed 
of a brilliant light yellow color, which resisted to a certain degree 
the action of dilute sulphuric^ nitric, and oxalic acids, but yielded 
entirely to that of hydrochloric acid. 
Albumen. The presence of albumen was evinced in this lixi- 
vium, by solutions of tannin and corrosive sublimate, and also by 
coagulation by heat. 
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