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ON  LEPTANDRA  VIRGINICA. 
ON  LEPTANDKA  VIRGINICA. 
By  E.  S.  Wayne. 
Nat.  Ord.  Scrophulariacce.    Sex.  Syst.  Diandria  Monogynia. 
Culver's  Physic.    Black  Boot. 
The  root  of  this  plant,  in  its  fresh  state,  is  said  to  be  too  drastric 
and  uncertain  for  medicinal  use,  producing  vomiting  and  bloody 
stools,  dizziness  and  vertigo,  which  properties  are  changed  or 
modified  upon  drying  the  root.  In  the  dry  state  it  is  laxative, 
cholagogue  and  tonic. 
This  root  has  acquired  some  celebrity  amongst  physicians  of 
the  Eclectic  school  as  a  laxative  and  tonic,  in  small  doses,  and  is 
said  to  be  valuable  in  dyspepsia,  especially  when  connected  with 
an  inactive  condition  of  the  liver,  and  torpid  condition  of  the 
bowels  ;  it  has  also  been  found  useful  in  dropsy,  &c.  &c.  See 
American  Eclectic  Dispensatory. 
This  root  has  been  only  partially  examined  as  to  its  proximate 
principles.  Essential  oil,  bitter  extractive,  tannin,  gum  and  resin 
have  been  found,  but  no  principle  representing  the  medicinal 
properties  of  the  plant  or  root  has  been  isolated  in  a  pure  con- 
dition. 
The  root,  in  coarse  powder,  was  treated  with  alcohol  in  a 
percolator;  a  dark  brown  tincture  was  obtained  ;  the  alcohol  was 
distilled  off,  and  water  added  as  the  spirit  evaporated ;  upon 
cooling,  a  dark  colored  resin  was  precipitated,  (the  Leptandrin 
of  Merrill;)  this  was  separated  from  the  watery  portion  by  filtra- 
tion. The  filtrate  was  of  a  brown  color,  and  of  an  exceedingly 
nauseous,  bitter  taste  ;  to  this  a  solution  of  sub-acet.  of  lead  was 
added  as  long  as  a  precipitate  was  formed,  and  the  excess  of 
lead  removed  from  the  filtrate  by  sulph.  hydrogen.  The  liquid 
was  of  a  pale  amber  color  after  the  treatment.  A  portion  of  it 
when  allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  left,  upon  evapora- 
tion, a  dark  colored  mass,  exceedingly  bitter,  and  presenting  no 
signs  of  crystallization.  Another  portion  was  treated  with  ether; 
it  left  the  same  bitter  substance  upon  evaporation;  and  to  a  third 
portion  ammonia  was  added  ;  it  caused  the  liquid  to  assume  a 
darker  tint,  but  after  standing  several  days,  no  other  change  was 
observed  to  have  taken  place. 
The  resin  obtained  by  evaporating  the  tincture,  and  the  ad- 
