Am.  Joar.  Pharm  ) 
May,  1875.  J 
What  is  Angelica-Root  ? 
199 
one  of  our  botanical  establishments  admitted  occasionally  sending  out 
either  one  indiscriminately,  though  the  name  masterwort  is  more  gener- 
ally understood  to  apply  only  to  the  Heracleum  or  cow-parsnip. 
The  frequent  substitution  of  these  roots  for  each  other  is  no  doubt 
to  be  partially  attributed  to  the  fact,  that  they  all  agree  in  being  highly 
aromatic,  and  in  possessing  a  warm,  pungent  taste.  All  of  them  are 
members  of  two  very  closely  related  families,  the  Umhellifercs  and  the 
Aral'iacece.  There  is,  however,  so  striking  a  difference  in  the  physicial 
properties  of  these  commercial  angelicas  and  the  true  cultivated  Arch- 
angelica  officinalis^  that  the  recognition  of  the  latter  presents  no  difficul- 
ties. Its  odor  and  taste  are  quite  peculiar,  and  altogether  different 
from  those  of  any  of  the  substitutes  ;  its  color  is  also  rather  darker 
and  more  brownish.  The  most  marked  characteristic  is  the  great 
abundance  of  very  numerous,  descending,  wrinkled  fibres,  many  of 
them  several  inches  in  length.  In  this  respect  it  differs  entirely  from 
the  American  specimens,  all  of  which  are  simple  roots,  not  furnished 
with  radicles. 
To  revert  to  the  original  question  :  Which  is  the  proper  root  to  dis- 
pense, in  the  absence  of  specific  directions  ?  Most  of  the  trade  cata- 
logues of  our  botanical  druggists  and  fluid-extract  manufacturers  de- 
scribe angelica  as  being  obtained  from  Angelica  atropurpurea.  It  has 
been  shown,  that,  owing  to  the  lack  of  botanical  knowledge  on  the 
part  of  the  collectors,  and,  perhaps,  also  to  other  causes,  those  who 
purchase  this  are  quite  as  likely  to  receive  some  substitute  as  the  true 
root  ;  while  the  cultivated  species  can  be  readily  obtained  free  from 
adulterations.  When  Engelwur-zel  and  angelique^  or  racine  de  Saint 
Esprit  are  asked  for,  the  European  or  garden  angelica  is  evidently 
wanted.  When  used  as  a  flavoring  ingredient  for  liquors  or  cordials, 
it  is  equally  certain  that  the  peculiar  flavor  of  the  Archangelica  officinalis 
is  desired,  as  most  of  the  recipes  for  bitters  and  gins,  in  which  it  is 
used,  have  originated  in  Europe.  As  has  been  already  stated,  Archan- 
gelica officinalis  is  the  only  species  recognized  in  the  German  Pharma- 
copoeia," and  the  same  root  was  officinal  with  us  during  the  previous 
decade.  Angelica  is  in  reality  used  to  a  much  greater  extent  by  our 
foreign  than  by  our  native-born  population.  The  consumers  are  almost 
invariably  unaware  that  there  is  more  than  one  variety,  and  they  con- 
sequently ask  simply  for  angelica,  as  the  English  name  is  given  by  their 
respective  dictionaries.  In  consideration  of  these  facts,  it  is,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  writer,  by  far  the  safest  to  give  the  imported  species, 
