THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
AUGUST,  1884. 
MENISPERMUM  CANADENSE. 
By  Hakey  Lee  Barber,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  rhizome  examined  upon  transverse  section  showed  the  thickness 
of  the  bark  to  be  one-sixteenth  the  diameter,  in  some  specimens  even 
less.  It  is  formed  of  two  irregular  layers,  the  inner  one  (liber)  being 
about  twice  the  thickness  of  the  outer  covering,  and  consisting  of 
roundish  or  lengthened  cells  of  parenchyma,  and  the  elongated  bast 
fibres.  The  outer  layer  is  entirely  parenchyma.  The  medullary  rays 
are  in  the  shape  of  an  elongated  wedge,  curved  at  the  pith,  and  united 
at  the  top  by  a  circular  zone  of  polyhedral  parenchyma  tissue  pale 
brown  in  color,  and  separated  from  the  liber  by  a  darker  line.  The 
rays  are  about  equal  in  width  to  the  wood  wedges,  and  are  about  four- 
teen in  number,  but  varied  from  twelve  to  twenty-six.  The  pith  is 
about  one-fifth  the  whole  diameter,  and  consists  entirely  of  polyhedral 
parenchyma.  The  wood  wedges  are  semicircular  on  the  outer  extremity, 
being  capped  by  a  tissue  having  a  semi-lunar  form ;  they  consist  of 
ducts  and  pleurenchyma,  and  are  invariably  truncated  and  tapering 
towards  the  centre.  The  overground  stem  consists  of  about  one-half 
pith.  The  bark  is  in  two  layers,  structure  similar  to  the  rhizome,  but 
the  layers  proportionately  thinner.  The  wood  wedges  are  oval,  being 
separated  by  narrow  medullary  rays,  and  the  cells  of  the  medulla  are 
large  and  polyhedral. 
Analysis. — None  of  the  constituents  were  soluble  in  benzin  with 
the  exception  of  a  very  minute  quantity  of  two  yellowish,  resinous 
bodies,  one  of  which  was  lighter  in  color,  and  soluble  in  ether.  No 
fatty  material  was  dissolved  by  the  action  of  the  benzin. 
The  ether  percolate  evaporated  left  a  brownish  yellow,  soft,  resi- 
nous mass.  This  was  entirely  soluble  in  alcohol,  partially  so  in  water. 
The  residue  from  this  aqueous  solution  dissolves  entirely  in  chloroform 
and  benzin,  and  has  all  the  characteristics  of  a  resin.  It  is  tasteless, 
inodorous,  hard  and  brittle,,  brownish  in  color,  and  corresponds  to  the 
soluble  resin  of  the  benzin  operation.  The  aqueous  solution  responded 
to  the  general  alkaloidal  tests.     A  tannin  (menispermo-tannic  acid) 
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