V 
riy 
\ 
^re numerous, commonly from ten to fifteen. The female flowers 
have no corolla ; the calyx confifts of five or fix oval leaves ; the 
ftyles are three, forked ; the capfule divides into three cells, each of 
which contains a fingle feed. 
Writers on the Materia Medica have differed much refpeding 
the plant which produces the officinal cortex cafcarillse ;* and even 
now this point does not appear to be fufficiently afcertained : the 
London College has therefore cautioufly avoided niaking any bota- 
nical reference to the plant which affords it. Linnxus, whofe autho- 
rity is certainly the beft, in his firii edition of the Mat. Med 
fidered the Cafcarilla as a fpecies of the Clutia ; but in the fecond 
edition it is^defcribed as a Croton, and in \n.% Amcunitates Acaderyiiccs 
we are again prefented with the Clutia Cafcarilla!!' What adds to 
this uncertainty is, that under both thefe genera it is referred to the 
fame fynonyma of Sloane and Browne ; yet it is remarkable, that 
neither of thefe authors notices the medicinal ufes of its bark,' although 
fo long known as a medicine in great eflimation in every part o 
Europe. \ " 
The plant,** from which the annexed fio;ure of the Cafcarilla is 
N t> 
taken, was found to agree very accurately with the generic charader 
of the Croton, as the plate itfelf mufl evince : we are therefore under 
no difficulty in affigning it to that genus. ^ Whether the Cafcarilla 
then is really a Croton or a Clutia, depends upon the fidelity and 
precifion with which the fynonyma have been refpedively applied.* 
This may be underftood from the following names '. ■. 
Cortex Thuris. Dale Pharmac. p, 346. Cortex Thuris nonnullis di£ius, vel 
Thymiama. Raii Hi/f. iS 4.1. Storax rubra officinarum. Bauh. Pin. ^^3- Thus 
Judaeorum. Park. Theat. 1602. Schakarilla, Chakarilla. Mout.Exot.S. Kina-kina 
Aromatica, Cafcarilla, Cortex Eleterii five Scacarilla officinarum, Cortex peruvianus 
grifeus five fpurius. Geof. M, M. . •> Vide vol. 5. p. 411. 
* It is mentioned only as being \\{tA in medicated baths, sind for fomentations. Vide 
Sloane 1. c. The Ricinoides Elasagni folio of Catefby, is ftated by him to be a good 
aromatic ^ bitter, andj on being burnt, to yield a fine perfume. Carolin. vol. 2. p. 46I 
Walter, in his tlor. Carolina does not mention ^he Cafcarilla, thou2fh he difcovered a 
Croton 
theD 
Grace 
* Murray, B^rgius, SpielmaHj the Edinburgh and moft of the forei 
a Croton. 
N 
According 
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