THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
FEBRUARY,  1876. 
RAIZ  DEL  INDICO. 
BY  RUDOLHH  F.  G.  VOELCKER,  PH.  G. 
[Abstract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay.) 
This  name  is  applied  by  the  natives  of  Mexico  to  a  plant  growing 
along  the  Rio  Grande,  the  root  of  which  they  use  as  an  astringent. 
The  plant  produces  fleshy,  fusiform  roots,  several  of  which  grow 
together  from  a  short  head.  They  are  nearly  circular,  one  to  two  inches 
in  diameter,  and  about  two  and  one-half  to  three  inches  long.  The 
corky  bark  is  covered  with  a  brownish,  wrinkled  layer,  and  is  separated 
by  a  dark  cambium  line  from  the  pithless  internal  substance,  which  is  of 
a  yellowish -brown  or  pinkish  color.  A  transverse  section  of  it  shows 
one  or  sometimes  two  yellow  concentric  rings,  and  many  dark  resinous 
spots,  arranged  so  as  to  form  radiating  lines. 
A  quantity  of  fresh  roots  were  procured  in  July,  1874,  and  several 
of  them  planted.  In  a  short  time  they  produced  some  leaves,  which 
when  full  grown  were  petiolate,  with  a  stipule  at  the  base  of  the  petiole, 
entire,  twelve  to  thirteen  inches  long  by  two  and  one-half  to  three 
inches  wide,  oblanceolate,  acute,  smooth,  shining,  juicy  and  of  light- 
green  color.  The  plants  have  not  flowered  yet,  and,  as  I  was  unable 
to  procure  any  flowers  from  Mexico,  it  was  impossible  to  classify  the 
plant,  but  from  its  chemical  composition  and  microscopic  structure  it 
might  be  inferred  that  it  belongs  to  the  natural  order  of  Polygo- 
naceae. 
Treatment  with  Ether. — The  powdered  root  was  exhausted  with 
ether,  and  the  dark-red  solution  evaporated.  Strong  ether  dissolved 
nearly  all,  water  only  a  portion.  The  residue  was  of  a  yellow  color, 
and  had  but  little  taste  ;  cold  alcohol  dissolved  a  portion  of  it,  the  resi- 
due consisting  of  wax,  which  was  partially  soluble  in  boiling  alcohol. 
The  solution  in  cold  alcohol,  when  evaporated  left  moss-like  crystal- 
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