F 



r 



r 



ra 



LEGUxMINOSiE. 



93 



ciple exliibits mucli less uniformity in its results than any other. an acrid and rather exciting principle, causes it to be employed 



It is without doubt to the presence of the extractive principle in as a pectoral. It may be here added, that the sweet flavour of 



considerable quantities that many leguminous plants owe their liquorice and its properties are not confined to the genus, but is 



purgative properties, which are common to several extracts, and found equally in the roots of many other plants of the order, as 



which many chemists attribute to the acetate of potass, which 



Trir 



they are almost universally found to contain. Thus the leaves some trees of leguminous plants is remarkable for its bitterness, 



and pods of Cassia senna, and several other species, the Colutea 



Geoffrby 



arhorescens of Genista purgans, and of Coromlla E'merus act Andlra possess this bitter and febrifugal quality in a remarkable 

 as brisk purgatives, and often cause pain in the bowels. The 



degree. In India the barks of the Jgati grandi/l 



p juice of Coromlla varm excites vomiting. It is perhaps from a Guilandina Bonducella are employed for the same purpose, 



different cause that the pulp, which is contained in the husks of The barks of many leguminous plants are also remarkable for 



leguminous plants, operates upon the human body, being gently their astringent qualities, caused by the quantity of tannin which 



I laxative without causing the least pain ; such is the character of they are found to contain ; this is observable in the Acacia Cdte- 



ji Catharlocarpusfistulay Tamarlndus Vnd'ica, Ceratonia stliqua, dm and A. Ardbicay which are used for tanning leatlier. It is 



li and probably some species of riiga and Pdrkia. There is a well known that almost all colouring matter proceeds from the 



ni juice which surrounds the seeds in the tumid pods of Gledi- extractive principle, and this principle abounds in Leguminbsce. 



tschia and Sophora, which differs altogether in its very astringent To this family belong the principal blue colours known by the 



\f nauseous flavour. It is undoubtedly to a secretion from the ex- 



¥^ 



ternal part of the seed, or of the pericarp, or some one of these from some Tephrbsias ; and the red colours are yielded by all the 



\ modifications, that the singular property of the Pisctdia and species of Cc^salpinia and of Hcemalbxylon or Logwood. We 



many Galegas is derived, which are employed in America may add the red juice which is drawn from the Plcrocdrpus 



to stupify fish, which are taken by this means as readily as by Draco and SantaltnuSy under the name of Sandal and Dragon's 



Nux vomica. The decoction of the root of Galega Virgu blood; from i5wfe«, under the name of Gum lac, and also from 



niana is considered in America as a powerful vermifuge. It Dalbe 



is perhaps to the extractive principle that the rubefacient powers gree-tree, is used as an ordeal in Africa. These juices appear 



of the fresh leaves of some leguminous plants are to be at- to differ in many particulars, but their history and analysis being 



tributed, w^hich act readily upon the skin if applied in plas- unknown, it is impossible to form an estimate of the nature of 



ters ; as for example, the leaves of Ornitliopus scorpioides their differences. 



gia Monetdria. The red juice of Erythrophleiini or Gre- 



and Moringa j^tcrogosperma. It appears that it is to the greater 

 ^ or less considerable mixture of the extractive principle with 

 the fascula contained in the seed, that the different proper- 

 ties of the pulse of leguminous plants may be attributed. If 



Among the exotic drugs employed in the arts, are the balsam 



y^ 



the balsam of Peru, 



Mutis says is produced by Myrospermum pennft 

 Isam of Tolu from Myrospermum toluiferum ; th 



found in small quantities, the seed may serve as food for man which has been found to be almost pure tannin, and which is 



and animals, as we see in French beans, scarlet runners, beans supposed to be produced by Acacia Catechu. Of the same 



and peas, &c. If found in a more considerable quantity, it will character is that remarkable resin that is yielded by Hymena'u 



render them purgative or emetic, as in Cytisus Laburnum and Courbaril; gum Arabic, produced by the bark and roots of 



Anagyris fce^tiduy &c., and most of those belonging to the sub- A 

 division Phyllolobce. The seeds of leguminous plants also pre- ol 

 ^ sent many other anomalies more difficult to reduce to any fixed fii 



cacia vera. Senegal, 



Ardhica^ and others; gum tragacanth, 



'/' 



Mau 



laws ; thus 



are found which contain a rather large portion 



It is remarkable that the botanical characters of Leguminbsce 



of fixed oil, such as the seed of the A^rachis hypogyce a and Mo- should so strictly agree with the properties of their seeds ; the 



ringa pterogosperma, which produces oil of ben ; there are some latter may be divided into two sections, namely, the first Sarco- 



of which the smell and flavour are rather powerful, as the seed of lobce, or those of which the cotyledons are thick (f. 21. c. g-.), 



Dipterex odbra or Tonquin bean; there are others, which, like and filled with fecula, and destitute of cortical pores, and which, 



i the chick pea, have rather a bitter taste and exciting properties, moreover, in germination do not undergo any change, but nou- 



and are on that account administered for the jaundice. There rish the young plant by means of that supply of food which they 



are others again, like those of the Andira^ which are so bitter as already contain ; second, the Phyll6loh<B, or those of which the 



to be used in Java and Brazil as tonic, alexiteric, and vermifuge. 



/•) 



lu sliort, are not the aperient and diuretic qualities which are furnished with cortical pores, and which change at once into 



observable in the roots and herbage of many leguminous plants, leaves at the time of germination, for the purpose of elaboratmg 



such as broom, beans, Ononis, &c. to be attributed to a modifi- food for the young plant. All the seeds of Sarcolob^ are used 



cation of this extractive principle ? There are, in another as food in different countries, and none of those of Phyllulobce 



view, roots which are tuberous, and furnish mankind with are ever so employed. 



wholesome food, as Lathyr'is tuherosus, Dolichos iubcrosus, and 



M. de CandoUe's arrangement of Legumindsce being here 



D. bulhosus, which last the Indians use for food. The roots of adopted, it will be useful to explain the principles on which 

 liquorice have a sweet and mucilaginous taste, which, united to it is founded. He divides Leguminosa into two grand divisions, 



