1260

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

pedicel

Sp. Chau. — Leaves oblong, somewhat acute, villous-silky- g fp. C-)somewhat longer than the leaf, bitracteate, forming a short race nC hing-Suffruticose. Root long, branching. Stem procumbent, br ‘^y g1 per sLeaves sessile, covered on both surfaces with long, silky leaves- ^ gt i(fsolitary, lake-coloured. Stamens three. Drupe round, beset wreddish hairs. .. a nd

Hab. —Peru ; growing abundantly in Huanuco, Iluaina ’Canta. is

Description. —Ratanhy root {radix krameriee seu r ^ a !s ca \ } longbrought from Peru . It consists of numerous, woody, cylinu 11 ’. ar ds*branches, varying in thickness from that of a writing quill , * j n ga»These pieces consist of a slightly fibrous, reddish-brown bark, ^ fig-intensely astringent and slightly bitter taste,—and of a very 11 j ar gestneous, meditullium, of a yellowish or pale red colour. -*-ii e th cquantity of astringent matter resides in the bark, and there^ ^

to

be

smaller branches (which have a larger proportion of bark) arepreferred. ^ sc* 1

Foreign or South American extract of rhatany (extractum krai)rhatanhice americanum) is occasionally imported. s dofh

Composition. —Rhatany root has been analyzed by 1 r0 !-./. ii-

Vogel, C. G. Gmelin, and Peschier (L. Gmelin, Handb. d.

1250 ).

C. G. Gmelin.

Tannin .

Sweet matter.

Mucilage . .

Nitrogenous ditto.

Lignin .

[Loss.

38-36-78-32-543 300 ]

Rhatany root. lOO’O

Peschier.

Dried watery extractInsoluble matters

Rhatany root

TanninGallic acid.

Gum, extractive and colouringKrameric acid

matter.'

1. Tannic acid .—To this, as well as in part to arhatany root owes its astringent qualities. It is this

Dried watery extract of rhatany ro0t '

minute portion of k^pjfusio' 1acid which enables an

acid*

rhatany root owes its astringent qualities, it is tins acid wmcn fgelao'^'’

of rhatany root to form, with a solution of gelatine, a precipitate ( tannate o/y T’b e

and with sesquichloride of iron a brownish grey precipitate (tannate of 1 '

-- r .-:-:.l l-l- „l_l„ , 1 „„„.;k„,i /„_, . „ r 0 '

properties of tannic acid have been already described (see p. 735). ..

2. Krameric acid .—Peschier ascribes the stypticity of rhatany to this aci >perties of which are at present imperfectly known.

like

the P r0 'othe r

Physiological Effects. —A powerful astringent, and, , )agents of this class, tonic also. (See the effects of astringents, p- eU rU ses. —Rhatany root is adapted to all those cases requiring j lUII iidployment of astringents: such as profuse mucous discharges \ a j a llycatarrh, old diarrhoeas, fluor albus, &c.), passive hemorrhages ^ eS ‘ net i,ne smetrorrhagia), and relaxation and debility of the solids. It i s s °p. irC oal)'used as a tooth powder (as with equal parts of orris root and c * ^ ([llDentists sometimes employ tincture of rhatany diluted with wateiastringent mouth wash. , crS . S-

Administration. —The powder may be given in doses of ho' nto 3ss. The infusion or extract is more commonly employed. ^ “