A

POISONOUS

PRINCIPLE IN INDIAN

LIQUORCIE

ROOT.

article which appears in another column, it will be seen that the roots and stems of the Indian contain the liquorice plant (A brus From

same

an

precatorius) poisonous principle which exists

abrus seeds bazaar and

the

kunch

the agents of

poison, which

is

or "

ratti

sui"

poisoning.

identical with

the

in

the

seeds of

This

the albumin

of

plant, has the peculiar property of producing generalized poisoning symptoms only when it gains the

direct entry into the circulation. Notwithstanding this latter reservation it must be evident that the

practice, so common amongst natives of this country, chewing the roots for the sake of the faintly sweetish principle contained therein, cannot be regarded

of

otherwise than dangerous, and ought therefore be seriously discountenanced : for, should any excor'ations exist in the person's mouth, there is no-

as

to

thing to prev ent the poison from being absorbed into the system with fatal results. The same consideration should serve to banish this root from the Indian

Pharmacopoeia where it is recommended as a substitute for that of Glycyrrhiza glabra. True liquorice root can be readily and certainly distinguished from

Indian

liquorice

differencies wh'ch

root

are

by

histological

these

detailed in the article refer-

red to.

This remarkable property of being harmful only directly into the circulation is very

when introduced

suggestive of the possibility of morbid states being occasionally produced by the absorption of certain animal excretions and secretions, which

only

so

broken

they alimentary or

long

as

pass off other

by

the

mucous

are

healthy tract.

harmless and

un-