PREPARATIONS OF VALERIAN. 
313 
[We are pleased to hear of this successful attempt at in- 
troducing the culture of valerian with a design to com- 
merce. We have raised it in small quantities for several 
years past, and had arrived at the conclusion that our mar- 
ket could be as well supplied at home as from abroad. In 
reference to the soil and climate of New England proving 
favorable, it is what might be expected from the facts no- 
ticed by writers on its culture in Europe. We do not agree 
with the authors in believing fresh valerian to be more 
medicinal than the older, provided the latter is well cured 
at first, because the action of the air increases the amount 
of valerianic acid by the oxidation of the neutral volatile oil, 
which of itself has hardly any medicinal power. For the 
same reason, oil of valerian distilled from fresh root, cannot 
contain so large a portion of valerianic acid, as that from 
older root, well kept. To convince ourselves of this, we have 
just bruised some fresh valerian roots and compared them 
carefully with the best dried English valerian, bruised into 
a pulp with water. They are much less odorous, less 
acid to litmus paper, and have much less of the pungent 
peculiar taste of valerian. We have reason to think that 
the Bornein, Borneol and Valerol, are of themselves of little 
value medicinally, but the latter as the source of the acid by 
oxidation, is the means of the drug growing stronger and 
more valuable by age, if well cured at first, and subsequent- 
ly well kept. We have no hesitation in believing that the 
New England drug will prove equal to the English. It is 
stated that the valerian grown in high situations, is more 
medicinal than that grown in low ground. It may be of 
some importance to attend to this suggestion in its culture 
in the United States. — Editor.] 
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