Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
April,  1876.  j" 
As  arum  Canadense. 
suitable  pharmaceutical  preparations  which  might  be  offered  to  the 
physician.  If  the  aromatic  properties  of  this  drug,  which  is  easily  ob- 
tainable, can  be  exhibited  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  substituted  for  the 
more  costly  ones  now  used  in  so  many  of  our  officinal  preparations, 
there  can  be  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  done,  for  it  would  cer- 
tainly afford  these  preparations  at  a  much  less  cost  to  the  pharmacist. 
Joseph  L.  Lemberger  ("  Proceedings  Am.  Pharm.  Asso.,"  vol.  xvii, 
page  382)  recommends  the  substitution  of  asarum  and  calamus  for  the 
cardamom  in  extract,  colocynth.  comp.,  and  says,  "  We  can  easily  dis- 
pose of  cardamom,  and  substitute  some  of  our  indigenous  aromatics." 
With  a  view  of  making  some  pharmaceutical  preparations  of  asarum 
which  might  serve  the  physician  as  a  vehicle  or  adjuvant,  the  writer 
has  made  several  experiments,  the  results  of  which  he  submits  to  ex- 
amination. Before  attempting  the  preparations,  however,  experiments 
were  made,  in  order  to  become  better  acquainted  with  the  constituents 
furnishing  the  aromatic  properties  of  the  root. 
Eight  ounces  of  the  dried  root  was  ground,  and  macerated  with  five 
pints  of  water  for  twenty-four  hours  ;  introduced  into  a  copper  still, 
and  two  pints  distilled  over.  This  distillate  was  of  a  milky  appear- 
ance, having  a  layer  of  volatile  oil  on  top.  The  volatile  oil  being 
separated,  the  water  was  saturated  with  sodium  chloride  and  redistilled 
as  long  as  the  second  distillate  came  over  odorous — amounting  to  one 
and  a-half  pints.  The  second  distillate  was  slightly  milky,  having 
small  oil  globules  on  the  surface.  The  oil  being  separated  by  means 
of  a  pipette,  the  water  was  again  treated  with  sodium  chloride,  and  dis- 
tilled. This  time  twelve  ounces  were  obtained,  having  odor  and  taste 
of  volatile  oil.  The  small  portion  of  oil  floating  on  this  distillate  was 
separated,  and  the  water,  for  the  third  time,  saturated  with  sodium 
chloride  and  distilled.  After  four  ounces  were  recovered,  the  water 
passed  over  odorless  and  tasteless.  The  oil  floating  on  this  fourth  dis- 
tillate was  in  such  minute  quantity  as  to  be  with  difficulty  separated. 
The  volatile  oil  thus  obtained  amounted  to  2  per  cent,  of  the  root 
employed,  and  corresponded  to  the  description  given  of  it  by  Rushton 
and  Procter. 
The  mother-liquor  left  in  the  still  after  each  operation,  consisting  of 
a  saturated  solution  of  sodium  chloride,  was  found  to  still  contain  or- 
ganic matter.  Four  portions  were  agitated  with  ether,  chloroform, 
gasolin  and  bisulphide  of  carbon,  respectively,  each  separated,  and 
G 
