Flora Peruv. torn. i. p. 61. Cl. 4. Ord.l. Tetrandria Monogynia. Nat. ord. Polygaleae. G. 253. Calyx none. Corolla, four petals : the superior nectary three-parted; and inferior two-leaved.1 Berry dry, echinated,, and containing one seed. Spec. 1. K. triandra. Triandrous Krameria. Flor. Peruw. torn. i.

p. 61. Icon, xciii. Woodvilles Med. Pot. 3d edit. vol. v.

p. 129. t. Officinal. Krameriae Radix, Lond. Rhatania, radix et extractum, Dub. Krameria or Ratanhy Root.

Syn. Ratanhie (F.), Ruiz para los dientes (S), Ratanhia (Huanaco), Mapato (Tarma)

This plant is a native of Peru, growing on the argillaceous, sandy, and arid acclivities of the mountains in the provinces of Huanueo, Tarma, Canta, Xauxa, Caxtambo, and Hua-malies, and very abundantly near the city of Huanueo.2 It was also found by Humboldt in the province of Guaneabunba in Peru. It flowers throughout the year; but is in the* height of blossom in October and November. It is a shrub with very long, much branched, spreading roots, of a blackish-red colour exteriorly, red interiorly, and having an intensely bitter styptic taste. The stem is procumbent, round, and divided into numerous branches, which when young are white and silky, but as they grow they become naked below, and acquire a black colour. The leaves are sparse, sessile, oblong-obovate, pointed, entire, and covered with a white silky pubescence on both surfaces. The flowers are terminal, solitary, and pedunculated. The corolla, for there is no calyx, is subpapilionaceous, consisting of four lake-coloured petals, the inferior larger than the others, seriaceous externally, but internally smooth and shining: the nectary is tetra-phyllous, the two upper leaflets being spathulate, the two lower roundish, concave, and scale-like. The stamens are three, each composed of a flesh-coloured filament, inserted between the germen and the superior leaflets of the nectary, and an urceolate anther, terminated with a pencil of very short hairs, and perforated with two holes at the apex.

The style is red, awl-shaped, supporting a simple stigma, and seated on an ovate germen, which changes to a dry, hirsute drupe.

Ratanhy-root is collected for medicinal purposes after the rains. As imported, it consists of pieces of various sizes; but seldom exceeding an inch in thickness, much branched, and the extreme ramifications minute. The root breaks short, exhibiting in the fracture a woody centre, and an easily separable, fibrous, dark-red bark. The thinner pieces are the best, as the proportion of bark is greater than on the thicker pieces.

1 This part of Willdenow's character applies solely to K. ixina, the penla-petala of the Flora Peruviana, the only species which he describes. The name Ratanhia signifies trailing plant.

2 It was first noticed by Ruiz in 1780 in the province of Tarma.

Qualities.-The bark of ratanhy-root, when chewed, tastes bitter, astringent, and at first nauseous; but the impression left in the mouth is sweetish and astringent, not unlike that produced by catechu. The woody centre is nearly insipid, and perfectly inert as a remedy. Ratanhy-root yields its properties to boiling water, affording a dark-brown infusion, which emits an odour not unlike that of a raw potato, tastes astringent and very bitter. All the mineral acids throw down copious precipitates when added to the infusion, but no precipitate is caused by acetic, citric, or oxalic acid. The pure alkalies produce no precipitate, but deepen the colour of the infusion to a rich claret-brown. Lime-water throws down a very copious pinkish precipitate, which is soluble in hydrochloric acid. Solution of sulphate of iron strikes a dark green colour with the infusion; that of acetate of lead throws down a pale -brown precipitate, leaving the infusion nearly colourless and limpid; and tincture of iodine, a deep blue colour. Alcohol produces no effect on the infusion.

Solution of isinglass separates tannin.

Ratanhy-root digested in alcohol yields a deep, reddish-brown tincture, which, when evaporated, leaves a deep red, brittle resin.1 When this tincture is poured into water, it throws down the resin of a pink colour. In ether the tincture is less deep-coloured; and, when the ethereal tincture is evaporated on water, it leaves a pellicle of dark red resin on the surface, and a small quantity of extractive is diffused through the water, colouring it a light brown. From these experiments we may conclude, that the bark of ratanhy-root contains a large proportion of tannin, gum, fecula, and resin. From the effects of the mineral acids on the infusion, they may be regarded as incompatible in prescriptions with this root. Vogel states, that he found the constituents of 100 parts of the root to be 40.00 of a peculiar red astringent principle, 1.50 of mucilage, 0.50 starch, 48.00 fibrine, and 10.00 of water and loss. An extract made with cold water is of a reddish-brown colour, has a vitreous fracture, and the bitterness and astringency of the root: it is best prepared with alcohol.

1 A saturated tincture of the root in brandy is called wine-colouring; and is used in Portugal to give roughness to port wines.

Medical properties and uses.-Ratanhy-root is powerfully astringent. It has been long esteemed in Peru as a remedy in dysentery attended with bloody stools; as a detergent in ulceration of the gums, and a stomachic corroborant. It is also employed for fixing the teeth, when they become loosened by the receding of the gums1; and for giving a fine red colour to the gums and lips. It is powerfully styptic when applied to wounds, and on this account has been used in internal haemorrhages, particularly haematuria. Alibert states that it has been used with success in France, in cases of leucorrhaea. It is little known in Great Britain as a medicine, although it has been long known to those who manufacture port wine-; and large quantities of its extract are prepared solely for this purpose in South America. It is certainly likely to prove a valuable addition to the Materia Medica, in intermittents,, diarrhoeas, haemorrhages, and all cases in which astringents are indicated. It has also been found useful in chronic rheumatism; in gastrodynia, attended by dyspepsia, headach, and vertigo; and in all diseases of the digestive organs, in which the powers of the stomach are impaired.

When there is great debility of the nervous system, it operates as powerfully and more immediately than the cinchona bark; whilst, in cases of general asthenia, its invigorating effects are very evident. Ratanhy-root may be exhibited in substance, or in the form of extract, or in infusion and decoction. The dose in substance is from grs. x. to 3 ss.; of the infusion made with ss. of the bruised root to f vj. of boiling water, from f3x. to f ij.; and of the decoction, made with ij. of the bruised root, and Oj. of distilled water, from f j. to f ij. The decoction is a bad form of preparation, as tannate of starch, insoluble in cold water and inert, is formed. On the Continent it is exhibited in the form of tincture, made by digesting for twelve days iij. of the powdered root with ij. of orange-peel, ss. of serpentaria root, and 3j. of saffron, in Oij. of rectified spirit of wine. The extract is also much used.

Officinal preparation.-Infusum Krameriae, L.