A  jiSa?>,P5Sm'}        Gardens  of  Medicinal  Plants.  19 
epidermis  sometimes  twist  about  the  root  in  spiral  iorm.  When 
sliced  transversely,  the  yellowish  medullary  rays  are  seen  to  be  sep- 
arated from  each  other  by  a  greenish  pulp,  and  when  the  dried  root 
is  broken,  the  fracture  always  presents  the  appearance  of  having 
been  affl.cted  with  dry  rot.  Upon  chewing  the  root  of  prime  Echi- 
nacea, a  sweetish  taste  first  presents  itself,  which  upon  prolonged 
chewing  becomes  acrid  and  tingling,  which  remains  long  to  affect 
the  tongue.  This  sensation  reminds  one  of  aconite,  but  it  is  devoid 
of  the  benumbing  quality  of  aconite,  and,  unlike  aconite,  it  increases 
the  flow  of  saliva,  instead  of  inducing  dryness  of  the  tongue.  Indeed, 
in  its  early  record,  more  than  one  physician  inferred  from  the  simi- 
larity of  the  taste,  that  by  mistake  aconite  had  been  sold  under  the 
Echinacea  label  and  wrote  me  concerning  the  subject.  In  early 
experience  with  the  drug,  I  found  insipid,  tasteless  lots  of  the  genu- 
ine plant,  that  proved  worthless  in  medicine.  These  specimens  all 
came  from  low,  wet  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  for  the  plant 
is  not  confined  exclusively  to  the  West,  and  varies  much  in  quality. 
Echinacea  contains  minute  amounts  of  a  colorless  alkaloid,  which, 
however,  does  not  constitute  the  therapeutical  qualities  of  the  drug. 
It  contains  much  sugar,  and  large  amounts  of  coloring  matters, 
which  prove  injurious  if  allowed  to  remain  in  its  preparations.  The 
sensible  constituent  is  a  colorless,  organic  substance  of  acid  reaction, 
which  imparts  the  sensible  properties  to  the  drug,  being  intensely 
acrid  and  persistent — distressingly  so  in  a  pure  condition.  It  exists 
in  prime  Echinacea  in  minute  amounts,  less  than  ^  of  1  per  cent., 
and  is  probably  in  itself  a  mixture. 
Accompanying,  please  find  specimens  of  the  plant  and  root  of 
Echinacea,  being  the  original  drug,  as  sent  me  direct  from  the  hands 
of  its  discoverer,  Dr.  Meyer. 
GARDENS  OF  MEDICINAL  PLANTS. 
By  Albert  Schneider. 
I.  PREFATORY. 
A  paper  on  this  subject  cannot  be  made  retrospective  nor  in  the 
form  of  a  review,  since  with  a  few  exceptions  there  are  no  extensive 
gardens  or  parks  entirely  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  medicinal 
plants.    The  present  object  is  rather  to  give  a  few  suggestions  as  to 
