Cortex Winteri. (Not officinal.) Winter's Bark. The bark of Drymis Winteri, or Drymis Aromatica; Lin. Syst., Polyandria tetragynia; a large tree found by Captain Winter, in 1578, on the coasts of the Straits of Magellan. Grows also in Chili, Peru, and New Granada.

Description. It occurs in large quills, a foot or more in length, and from 1 to 2 inches in width. The bark itself varies from 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch in thickness; externally it is reddish yellow, with dark red spots; internally, cinnamon colour. It has a powerful aromatic odour, and hot taste.

Prop. & Comp. Winter's bark contains a volatile oil, lighter than water, resin, and some tannin; hence its solution strikes black with salts of iron; in the analysis of this bark oxide of iron, sulphate of potash and other salts, are given as constituents.

Therapeutics. A warm aromatic stomachic and tonic, useful in atonic dyspepsia. It was originally given in scurvy.

Dose. 30 gr. to 60 gr., in powder, or made into an infusion.

Adulteration. Canella alba is often substituted for Winter's bark; it is distinguished by being much lighter in colour, especially on the inner surface, and containing no tannin, and no soluble sulphate; the infusion of canella, therefore, does not strike black with iron salts, and is not precipitated by chloride of barium. Therapeutically the substitution is of little or no consequence.

Illicium anisatum. Star Anise.

The fruit of this plant, belonging to the order Magnoliaceae, yields an oil which resembles true anise oil very closely, and which is now made officinal under the name of Oleum Anisi, in conjunction with the oil from the umbelliferous fruit.