ON  RHATANY  ROOT. 
537 
Root  [Radix  Ratanhice  ;)  that  of  the  second  plant  is  distinguished 
by  French  druggists  as  West  Indian  Rhatany  (Radix  Ratanhios 
Antillarum,)  under  which  name,  brief  and  somewhat  superficial 
descriptions  of  it  may  be  found  in  some  scientific  journals.  The 
most  detailed  account,  referring,  however,  only  to  its  external 
appearance  and  characters,  is  that  given  by  Guibourt  (Dictionaire 
des  Brogues  simples  et  composes,  1829,  tome  iv.  376),  as  derived 
partly  from  his  own  investigation  of  specimens  found  in  French 
commerce,  and  partly  from  observations  made  on  the  spot  by 
Tussac,  who  published  a  description  of  it,  with  a  figure,  in  his 
Flore  des  Antilles. 
Besides  this  West  Indian  Rhatany,  which  almost  always 
occurs  in  trade  per  se,  we  find  sometimes  among  ordinary  Rhatany 
other  roots,  evidently  derived  from  different  species,  though  be- 
longing to  the  same  genus.  Krameria  argentea  and  Kr.  linearis 
have  been  named  as  the  origin  of  these  roots.  I  have  not,  how- 
ever, yet  succeeded  in  distinguishing  with  certainty  these  latter 
roots,  although  with  a  favorable  chance  for  doing  so,  having  had 
within  a  few  months  as  much  as  8000  lbs.  of  genuine  Rhatany 
before  my  eyes,  with  liberty  of  searching  it  over.  I  may  there- 
fore pronounce  the  admixture  of  those  two  roots  as,  at  all  events, 
of  but  rare  occurrence.  An  intentional  or  fraudulent  adultera- 
tion of  the  drug  is  not  easily  carried  out,  on  account  of  the 
characteristic  color  which  the  genuine  rhatany  possesses.  Mar- 
tiny  has,  however,  noticed  such  an  one.  He  found  among  some 
genuine  rhatany,  pieces  of  a  yellowish-red  root,  having  a  rough 
uneven  surface,  a  clean  fracture,  and  a  soft  wood.  Its  origin 
is  unknown,  and  he  describes  it  briefly  as  Radix  Ratanhioe 
spuria. 
Krameria  triandra,  discovered  by  Ruiz  and  Pavon,  grows  in 
Peru  and  Bolivia,  half-way  up  the  western  slopes  of  the  Cor- 
dilleras. It  is  exported  from  Lima  chiefly  to  the  ports  of  Europe. 
It  does  not  appear  that  we  are  at  present  acquainted  with  any 
further  distribution  of  this  plant  on  the  South  American  con- 
tinent. 
Krameria  Ixine  was  first  found  by  Loffling  on  the  continent, 
so  is  by  no  means  restricted  to  the  Antilles.  But  its  exportation 
takes  place  from  Martinique  and  Guadaloupe,  whence  it  is  sent 
to  France, 
