Am.  .Tour.  Pharm. 
May,  1884. 
Aconite  Root. 
277 
gen  atoms  combined  only  with  carbon ;  its  constitutional  formula  will 
thus  be:  C19H25(OH)5.02.03.  From  the  acetyl  derivatives  saponin 
can  be  regenerated. — Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  April,  1884,  p.  463,  from 
Annalen,  vol.  218. 
ACONITE  ROOT. 
By  E.  R.  Squibb,  M.D. 
The  description  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  applies  very  well  indeed  to 
some  parcels  of  Aconite  root,  but  there  are  few  drugs  which,  while 
retaining  a  general  form,  vary  more  in  size,  color  and  thickness  of 
bark,  in  different  parcels  met  with  in  the  markets.  The  roots  in  the 
same  parcel  vary  very  much  also  in  size,  surface,  and  internal  structure. 
Many  roots  in  every  parcel  will  not  be  over  1  to  1J  inches  in  length, 
and  while  a  large  proportion  are  very  much  wrinkled  longitudinally, 
a  few  are  quite  smooth.  These  smooth  roots  are  absent  entirely  from 
some  parcels,  and  are  not  very  numerous  in  any.  They  break  with  a 
solid,  starchy  fracture,  and  commonly  have  a  very  thin  bark.  The 
wrinkled  roots  are  more  spongy  internally,  and  some  are  very  light 
and  porous,  doubtless  from  having  been  in  a  very  succulent  condition 
when  gathered.  All  these  varieties  may  be  very  strong  or  very  feeble 
to  the  taste,  for  the  appearance  bears  very  little  relation  to  the  activity 
of  the  root.  Some  parcels  are  much  more  stalky  than  others;  that  is, 
have  more  of  the  comparatively  inert  stalk  cut  off  with  the  root,  and 
in  this  are  of  course  objectionable,  yet  many  parcels  that  are  quite 
stalky  are  to  be  preferred  to  those  which  are  better  trimmed,  on  account 
of  superior  activity.  The  greatest  difference,  however,  in  different 
bales  is  in  the  taste,  or  rather  in  the  aconite  impression  upon  the  tongue 
and  lips,  and  upon  this  the  writer  has  long  relied  in  selecting  for  pur- 
chase. Some  years  ago  he  published  the  method  of  testing  by  taste, 
and  at  that  time  stated  that,  with  care  in  selection,  parcels  could  be 
had  which  when  each  root  of  a  handful  sample  was  broken  in  the 
middle,  and  a  very  small  piece  from  the  point  of  fracture  was  chewed 
between  the  front  teeth  in  contact  with  the  tip  of  the  tongue  for  a  few 
moments,  and  was  then  discharged,  eight  out  of  ten  of  the  roots  would 
give  the  characteristic  aconite  tingling  in  some  degree  within  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes.  He  can  now  state  that  parcels  are  easily  had,  though 
at  a  higher  price,  every  root  of  which  will  give  a  strong  sensation  from 
a  very  small  particle.  This  has  made  him  revise  the  test  within  the 
past  two  years.    As  it  comes  from  shipboard,  or  from  storehouses,  it 
