484 
AN  ESSAY  ON  SASSAFRAS  OFFICINALE 
demulcent.  It  should  be  collected  in  September  or  before  the 
15th  of  October,  after  which  period  it  is  not  so  well  stored  with 
mucilage,  and  is  more  apt  to  become  discolored  on  drying  than 
when  extracted  earlier.  The  mucilage  of  this  pith  is  remarkably 
pure  and  free  from  irritating  qualities  and  admirably  adapted  for 
collyria — taking  the  place  of  the  quince  mucilage  of  European 
practice.  The  fresh  young  leaves  give  out  an  abundance  of 
mucilage  to  cold  water,  which,  though  not  so  pure  as  that  from 
the  pith,  may  be  used  for  allaying  the  irritation  of  inflamed  sur- 
faces, in  eczema,  rhus  poison,  etc. 
The  proper  period  for  gathering  the  bark  is  in  the  autumn 
after  the  fall  of  the  leaves,  until  the  spring  before  the  sap  rises. 
The  volatile  oil  then  appears  to  be  concentrated  in  the  radical 
part  of  the  tree. 
In  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  the  usual  position  to  find  sassa- 
fras trees  is  in  fence  rows,  and  along  the  edge  of  wood  lands, 
where  the  plants  originate  from  seed  dropped  by  the  birds  ;  but 
every  neglected  spot  soon  becomes  planted  with  sassafras  by  the 
same  cause,  if  the  soil  is  not  too  closely  covered  with  sod. 
The  commerce  in  sassafras  involves  more  labor  and  capital  in 
that  part  which  relates  to  the  production  of  the  volatile  oil,  than 
in  that  of  the  bark  and  roots,  and  it  is  only  where  the  tree  occurs 
abundantly  that  the  oil  is  sought.  So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
learn,  the  largest  amount  of  oil  is  distilled  within  sixty  miles  of 
Baltimore,  which  is  the  principal  depot  for  its  commerce. 
Alpheus  P.  Sharp,  of  that  city,  (see  Proc.  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc., 
1862,)  estimated  the  quantity  produced  for  several  years  prior  to 
that  date  at  from  15,000  to  20,000  pounds,  a  figure  much  reduced 
by  the  war.  Considerable  quantities  are  extracted  in  York  and 
Lancaster  Counties,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  probably  much  of  this 
makes  its  way  to  Baltimore.  In  some  parts  of  West  New  Jersey 
isolated  distillers,  some  of  whom  are  colored  men,  prosecute  a 
small  business  in  this  line.  Through  the  aid  of  my  kind  friend 
Charles  A.  Heinitsh,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.,  the  following  facts  were 
obtained  relative  to  the  manufacture  of  the  oil  in  that  county, 
from  Mr.  Abraham  Murray  and  Mr.  Peter  W.  Hart,  who  are 
engaged  in  the  business.  The  first  point  to  attain  is  the 
material.    This  consists  of  the  roots  of  sassafras,  large  and 
