ON ASARUM CANADENSE. 
187 
ciples have been developed, with the addition, from my own 
experiments of fatty matter, chlorophylle, salts of lime and 
potassa, iron, and lignin. 
AFFINITIES. 
The close alliance between the Jisarum canadense and 
other individuals composing the same family, is apparent, not 
only from the similarity of botanical characteristics, but also 
from the now ascertained chemical constitution of the most 
prominent among them. It is not at present necessary to point 
out the botanical affinities, as the description that has been given 
includes most of the peculiar attributes of the family Aristo- 
lochise; indeed, although the species of the genus Aristolochia 
have been selected as affording the types, they might as well 
have been furnished by those of the genus Asarum. Of this, 
there are several species in the United States, besides the one 
under consideration, the properties of which, from analogy, 
may be inferred to have a close resemblance; these are 
virginicum, the roots of which, it is stated, were formerly 
mixed with Serpentaria, and Jl. arifolium* But the con- 
gener with which it is most frequently compared, is the Euro- 
pean species, Ji. Europceum. Guibourt, in his Hist. Jlbri- 
gee des Drogues Simples, 3d edition, states "that the root sent 
to him from Philadelphia, by Mr. Durand, did not seem to him 
to differ from that of the Asarum Europozum." From this re- 
semblance several botanists have been induced to suppose that 
they were only varieties of the same, which, however, is not 
the case. If there be, upon fair comparative trial, the slight dif- 
ference in medical properties that has been supposed, may it not 
be attributed rather to the degree or amount of the active proxi- 
mate principle, than to the existence of a principle in one which 
is not to be found in the other? Thus the essential oil would 
seem to be the most energetic element of both, and the greater 
emetic power ascribed to the Asaret of Europe, may depend 
upon its presence in larger proportion. 
