PHARMACOPCEIAL VEGETABLE DRUGS.

Two early Statements concerning the fruit may, however, now berecorded.

Caspar Bauhinus (48), who named the Sassafras tree "arbor exFlorida ficulneo folio," in 1623 reports that specimens of the leavesand the fruit of the tree were sent to him by Dr. Doldius, of Nurem-berg, and he describes the fruit as oblong, rugose, and attached to verylong pedicels.

Likewise Jean de Laet (368), in the index to the chapter on Sassa-fras of his afore-mentioned book, requests the reader to insert in thetext that the fruits of this tree were brought to the notice of the authorby a person returning from Novo Belgio, and adds that the fruit doesnot differ much in form from the berries of the laurel, although it ismuch smaller. It contains a white nut of bitterish taste, divided intotwo parts.

As far as we can ascertain, Plukenet (514a), as late as the year1691, was the first to give an Illustration of the berry, which, however,is faulty, because it is void of the acorn-like calyx. The trilobed leavesare also illustrated, and the botanical name affixed to it by Plukenetis "cornus mas odorata, foliis trifido, margine piano, Sassafras dicta."

Catesby (130), true to his task as set forth in the title of hisbook on the natural history of Virginia, etc., viz.: to correct faultyillustration of plants by preceding authors, gives (in 1731) a good pic-ture of Sassafras, including the fruit and flowers.

In the middle and latter part of the eighteenth and the earlier partof the nineteenth Century Sassafras was studied in its native countryby such celebrated travelers as Peter Kalm (350), J. David Schoepf(582), F. A. Michaux (433), and Fred Pursh (528). Peter Kalm'saccount especially (350) contains many points of interest.

The author's boyhood was spent in the country, in Kentucky,where Sassafras abounds. I do not remember to have smelled the fra-grance of Sassafras trees, mentioned by these early authorities, unlessthe trees were broken or bruised. I have passed through great thicketsof young and old trees and am sure that the Statement that the fra-grance is wafted far out to sea is overdrawn, as I observed no odorwhatever, and am satisfied that Sassafras exhales no aroma. Whenland in Kentucky is "worked poor" and turned out to rest it is likelyto spring up in thickets of Sassafras, persimmon, and black locust. Ihave heard old farmers, in speaking of a farm, say it was "too poor toraise Sassafras," and no greater reflection could be cast on that land.No especial value is put on Sassafras wood, it is not sought for fenceposts nor is it used to drive away insects of any description.

As a remedy the bark is used in the spring to "thin the blood," be-ing drunk as a tea. Indeed, I do not dislike it as a beverage, early im-pressions leading me now to take a package of fresh bark home with nieoccasionally for a family dish of Sassafras tea. This is made exactlyas coffee is prepared as a beverage, and is sweetened and used withcream in the same way. That Sassafras tea was a very common beveragein my boyhood days may be shown by the following incident: I wastraveling up the Ohio River on one of the palatial steamers of other

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