664
ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.
Salsepareille-Squine de Macardibo, and which he thinks ought rather to be regarded a»a China root (Squint, Fr.) than a sarsaparilla. .
Caraccas sarsaparilla has considerable resemblance to the Lima sarsaparilla °*English commerce.
2. Peruvian Sarsaparilla, Guib. (MS.) “ The tuberosities possess a yellow colouringprinciple, and the stems are rather spongy than ligneous.” This kind also appears tome to he closely allied to, if not identical with, Lima sarsaparilla.
3. Brazilian, called Portugal , Sarsaparilla, Guib. (Hist, des Drop. t. i. p. 578)-Accompanying this is a portion of the stem of some monocotyledonous plant (Tindxrtitled) used in tying the roots in bundles. The sample sent me by Professor Guibourthas some resemblance to what I have above called Vera Cruz sarsaparilla; but thequantity is too small to draw any accurate conclusion from it.
4. Brazilian Sarsaparilla en Souches, Guib. (MS.) This, I think, is identical wit"our Vera Cruz sarsaparilla. “ I thought at first,” says Professor Guibourt, “ that itcame from the Brazils, because it appeared to me identical with that which constitutesthe sarsaparilla called Portugal . But a druggist tells me he has received it whollyunder the name of Tampico Sarsaparilla.”
5. Mexican, called Honduras , Sarsaparilla, Guib. (op. cit. t. ii. p. 674). This lSnot the Honduras sarsaparilla of English druggists. Its colour is paler and yellowish-The roots are more shrivelled, the cortical part is tougher; and, when broken, does notgive nut a white dust, in consequence of being deficient in the white amylaceous lay efwhich is so abundant in the Honduras variety of our commerce.
The sarsaparilla which Guibourt (MS.) regards as the washed Honduras kin"(Salsepareille Honduras lavle ? Guib.), appears to me to be a distinct species. -
6. Jamaica Sarsaparilla, Guib. (op. cit. p. 515). This is not Jamaica sarsaparilla °*English druggists. It appears to me to be very similar to the Salsepareille Honduras lavle, Guib. Both kinds have a roseate amylaceous cortex.
7. Woody Sarsaparilla, Guib. (op. cit. p. 576).
8. Unknown Sarsaparilla, Guib. (MS.) “ It approaches Caraccas sarsaparilla.”
Composition. —Sarsaparilla was analyzed by Cannobio (BrugnatelhGiornale di Fisica, &c. Dec. ii. vol. i. p. 421, 1818); by Pfaff ( Syst■Mat. Med. Bd. vii. S. 90, 1824); by Batka (Journ. de Pharm. t.p. 43, 1834); and by Tliubeuf (Journ. de Pharm. xx. 682, 1834).
Pfaff*& Analysis-
Balkans Analysis.
I Thubeufs Analysts-
Bitter acrid resin . 2‘8Gummy extractive 5*5
Starch. 54*2
Woody fibre. 27*8
Loss. 9*7
Balsamic resin.... 2*0
Acrid extractive .. 2 5
Extractive similar
to cinchona_ 3*7
Common extractive 9*4Gummy extractive 1*4
Albumen . 2*2
Woody fibre. 75*0
Moisture . 3*0
Loss. 0*8
Sarsaparilla [VeraCruz].100.0
1. A crystalline matter
(parallinic acid)
2. A colouring crystal-
line matter
3. An essential oil
4. Gum
5. Bassorin
6. Starch
7. Albumen
8. Extractiform matter9- Gluten andgliadine
10. Fibrous and cellular
tissue
11. Lactic acid
12. Acetic acid
13. Salts—namely, chlo-
rides of calcium,potassium, andmagnesium, car-bonate of lime, ox-ide of iron, and alu-mina
1. A crystalline s ” *
stance (salsepap 1
2. A colouring matter
3. A resinous matter
4. Ligneous matter
5. Starch . m
6. Chloride potassium
7. Nitrate potash . *
8. Fixed aromatic tin
oil
9. Waxy substance
Sarsaparilla.
Sarsaparilla.
I. Oil of Sarsaparilla .—100 lbs. of the root yield about ii. of volatile oil (Berzeli" s ’Traiti de Chim. t. vi. p. 211). ^
The following experiments were made by a friend, a manufacturing chemist, '» b .°gave me the products for examination. 140 lbs. of Jamaica sarsaparilla were distiH e °»by steam heat, at twice, with 220 gallons of water. 50 gallons of a milky liquor wet®obtained winch were again submitted to distillation until 20 gallons had passed <> ve [ -20 lbs. of common salt were added to the distilled product, and heat being app‘ ,ea !-J gallons were drawn over. The liquor was milky, held in solution carbouate «