Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
October,  1896  j 
Spurious  Blood  Root. 
553 
not  the  wholesale  houses,  is  really  responsible  for  the  safety  of  the 
public. 
The  rhizome  of  Chamaelirium  Carolinianum,  Willd.  (C.  luteum,  A. 
Gray)  was  found  by  Dr.  F.  V.  Greene  to  contain  a  bitter  principle 
called  chamaelirin,  which  is  stated  to  act  as  a  cardiac  depressant,  i.  e., 
exactly  opposite  to  the  primary  action  of  Sanguinaria.  In  medi- 
cine the  rhizome  is  used  as  a  tonic,  diuretic  and  anthelmintic. 
The  two  rhizomes  may  be  distinguished  as  follows  :  That  of  S. 
Canadensis  has  an  annual  growth  marked  by  constrictions,  giving  to 
it  a  knotted  or  moniliform  appearance.  It  is  scarred  with  the 
appiessed  bases  of  the  leaves,  which  form  not  very  obvious  dark 
lines  on  the  surface,  about  2  mm.  apart.  Rootlets  are  rarely  present, 
and  are  very  slender,  blackish  and  easily  broken  off.  The  trans- 
verse surface  of  the  rhizome,  when  cut,  shows  either  a  uniform  dark 
blood-red  color  or  a  whitish  starchy  surface,  with  numerous  red  dots 
scattered  over  it.    The  root  bark  forms  a  thin  blackish  line. 
The  rhizome  of  Chamaelirium  is  almost  identical  in  size  and 
general  appearance,  but  the  transverse  marks  are  much  more 
numerous,  and  form  whitish  wavy  lines,  only  y2  mm.  apart,  and  as 
seen  under  a  good  lens,  they  project  at  right  angles  to  the  rhizome. 
The  external  surface  of  the  rhizome  is  grayish,  and  the  rootlets  are 
•evidently  those  of  a  monocotyledon,  as  they  are  not  continuous 
with  the  outer  surface,  each  leaving  a  small  hole  when  broken  off, 
thus  giving  to  .  the  rhizome  a  perforated  appearance,  which  is,  of 
course,  not  seen  in  Sanguinaria.  The  transverse  surface  is  of  a 
dirty  white  hue  and  horny  texture,  and  exhibits  a  well-defined  cen- 
tral column  occupying  about  one-third  of  the  diameter,  and  con- 
taining irregularly  placed  vascular  bundles.  The  outer  portion 
surrounding  the  central  column  shows  a  few  scattered  holes  con- 
taining traces  of  the  rootlets,  but  there  are  never  any  red  resinous 
dots  present,  as  in  Sanguinaria.  It  is  easily  detected,  therefore,  by 
the  grayish  surface  perforated  with  small  holes,  and  by  the  trans- 
verse section  exhibiting  a  well-defined  central  column. 
Pennsylvania  Mountain  Tea. — Under  this  name  the  leaves  of  one  of  the 
Golden  Rods,  Solidago  odora,  are  in  very  common  use  as  tea,  by  the  families 
of  the  German  race  in  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania.  "Men  gather  the  leaves  in 
the  summer-time,  and  many  are  said  to  make  a  good  living  at  the  work.  They 
peddle  it  in  the  winter-time,— Meehan's  Monthly  for  August,  i8q6. 
