^Ma°rch,?mm'}      Note  on  Yerba  and  Raiz  del  Indio.  115 
NOTE  ON  YEEBA  AND  EAIZ  DEL  INDIO. 
By  John  M.  Maisch. 
In  the  preceding  paper,  by  Messrs.  Trimble  and  Jones,  reference  is 
made  to  the  "yerba  del  indio"  admitted  into  the  Mexican  Pharmaco- 
poeia. The  second  edition  of  this  work  refers  the  drug  in  question  to 
Aristolochia  fcetida,  Kunth,  and  further  states,  that  the  plant  grows  in 
Ario  and  other  hot  districts  of  the  Eepublic ;  that  the  decoction  of  the 
leaves  and  stems  enjoys  a  great  reputation  as  a  vulnerary,  and  that  the 
root  is  a  detersive  stimulant. 
During  the  winter  of  1874-1875,  Eudolph  F.  G.  Voelcker,  Ph. 
G.,  made  a  chemical  examination  of  "raiz  del  indico,"  the  results  of 
which  were  published  in  Amee.  Jour.  Phakm.,  1876,  p.  49.  Speci- 
mens of  Mr.  Voelcker's  root,  which  were  then  shown  to  me,  though 
somewhat  smaller  than  the  roots  examined  by  Messrs.  Trimble  and 
Jones,  so  strongly  resembled  the  latter,  that  I  am  inclined  to  regard 
the  two  drugs  as  identical.  But  Mr.  Voelcker's  root  was  obviously 
not  obtained  from  an  aristolochia ;  for  the  fresh  roots,  on  being  planted 
produced  leaves  which  were  stipulate,  12  to  13  inches  long,  2  J  to  3 
inches  broad,  oblanceolate,  acute,  smooth,  shining,  juicy  and  light- 
green.  Unfortunately  the  plants  had  not  produced  flowers,  and  I 
have  no  information  whether  they  have  bloomed  in  subsequent  years. 
The  character  of  the  leaves  and  the  chemical  behavior  of  some  of  the 
constituents  of  the  root .  led  Mr.  Voelcker  to  infer  that  the  plant 
belongs  to  the  natural  order  of  Polygonacese.  It  is  certain  that  it 
cannot  be  an  aristolochia  in  which  genus  the  leaves  are  exstipulate  and 
at  the  base  usually  heart-shaped. 
Aristolochia  fcetida,  Kunth,  is  a  shrubby,  twining  plant  with  a 
somewhat  angular  and  hairy  stem ;  its  leaves  are  reniform-cordate  with 
a  short  acumination ;  the  basal  lobes  are  rounded  and  form  a  narrow 
sinus,  and  the  base  proper  is  wedge-shaped  and  decurreat  into  the 
petiole;  both  sides,  but  more  particularly  the  upper  one,  are  beset 
with  appressed  hairs.  The  leaves  are  12  Cm.  (4 J  inches)  long  and 
broad ;  the  petioles  are  somewhat  shorter,  grooved  above  and  somewhat 
hairy.  The  plant  was  found  by  Humboldt  and  Bonpland  in  shady 
places  at  an  altitude  of  1,950  meters  (about  6,000  feet),  and  at  that 
time  was  known  as  "yerba  del  indio"  and  enjoyed  considerable  cele- 
brity in  the  treatment  of  ulcers,  the  decoction  being  used  as  a  wash. 
It  is  evident  from  this  description  that  the  "yerba  del  indio"  of 
