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CYPRIPEDIUM  PUBESCENS. 
CYPRIPEDIUM  PUBESCENS. 
By  Henry  C.  Blair. 
(Extract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay.) 
There  are  several  species  of  Cypripedium  found  in  the  wood- 
lands of  the  United  States ;  the  species  pubescens  is  considered 
the  most  medicinal,  and  is  introduced  into  the  secondary  list  of 
the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  It  is  an  herbaceous  plant, 
about  one  or  two  feet  high,  having  a  pubescent  leafy  stem.  The 
leaves  are  also  pubescent,  ovate,  narrow  at  the  base,  and  about 
four  or  five  inches  long  by  two  in  breadth.  The  flower  yellow,  slip- 
per-shaped,— and  hence  its  common  name  of  "ladies'  slipper,"  or 
"  moccasin  plant."  The  fruit  is  an  oblong  capsule,  tapering  at 
each  end.  It  is  found  most  abundantly  in  rich  moist  woods. 
The  root  is  fibrous,  like  Valerian,  and,  as  it,  is  used  as  an  anti- 
spasmodic. [It  has  acquired  the  name  of  American  Valerian, 
a  very  improper  designation,  which  has  caused  it  to  be  con- 
founded with  the  true  Valerian  which  is  cultivated  in  this 
country.] 
The  dried  root  of  the  shops  has  a  small  knotted  head  or  caudex, 
with  numerous  fibres  much  thicker  than  Serpentaria,  and  about 
four  inches  long.  The  cortical  portion  is  of  a  brownish  color,  the 
woody  part  being  much  lighter.  It  has  a  peculiar  heavy  pene- 
trating and  unpleasant  odor,  somewhat  like  that  of  Valerian,  and 
a  sweetish  bitter  persistent  taste. 
1.  The  author,  in  seeking  for  the  volatile  principle,  subjected 
the  root  to  distillation  with  water.  The  distillate  was  returned 
on  a  new  portion  of  the  root,  and  the  cohobation  continued  until 
four  portions  had  been  used.  The  last  distillate  had  a  milky 
appearance,  with  a  small  portion  of  a  light  volatile  oil  floating  on 
its  surface.    The  distilled  water  possessed  an  acid  reaction. 
2.  A  portion  of  the  root  was  exhausted  by  alcohol.  The  tinc- 
ture was  colored  blue-black  by  sesqui-chloride  of  iron.  The 
alcoholic  extract  treated  with  ether  yielded,  by  evaporation,  a 
bitter  astringent  resinous  substance.  Water  removed  its  as- 
tringency,  and  when  treated  by  charcoal  its  color  became  light 
yellow,  the  bitterness  being  retained. 
When  the  alcoholic  extract  was  washed  with  water,  and  the 
