55 



thrown away. The milky -looking liquid is strained, and then allowed 

 to stand. The starch settles, and when the water has been drained off, 

 it is dried in the sun. The starch-grains are convex, more or less 

 elliptical. 



Arrowroot is very nutritious, and easily digested. 



It is a valuable demulcent in bowel complaints and diseases of the 

 urinary organs. 



MAST WOOD. See Catalpa longissima. 



MAURITIUS HEMP. See Ftjrcrcea gigantea. 



MAY POLE. See Agave Morrisii. 



MEXICAN POPPY. See Argemone mexicana. 



MELIA SEMPERVIRENS, Sw. 

 Hoop Tree, West Indian Lilac. 



Tropics. A shrub or low tree ; leaves twice-pinnate ; flowers showy, 

 blue mixed with purple and white ; berry yellow. (Meliacece.) 



Root : bark a powerful anthelmintic. 



Stem ; bark bitter and astringent. 



Fruit: "pulp mixed with lard, forms an ointment for Tenia. It 

 also yields a valuable bitter fixed oil, which is administered internally 

 for worms, and employed externally to foul ulcers, and as a liniment 

 in rheumatic and neuralgic affections." (Macfadyen.) 



Dried berries anthelmintic. 



MUCUNA PRURIENS, DC. 



Cowitch, Cowhage. 



Cosmopolitan in the tropics. A twining plant, belonging to the 

 Pea Family (Legumino&ce) ; leaves compound with 3 leaflets; flowers 

 of a dark purple tinged pale yellowish-green, hanging in clusters on 

 long pendulous stalks ; pod, covered with a thick felt of pale-reddish 

 stinging hairs, which turn brownish when dry. The word cowitch is 

 a corruption of the Hindustani name cowhage. 



Root infusion used by natives in India as a remedy in cholera. 



A decoction of root is said to be diuretic. 



Pods young and tender, are cooked and eaten in India. 



A vinous tincture of the pods was formerly used for dropsy. 



Hairs from the pod furm a mechanical anthelmintic. Administered 

 in the form of an electuary with honey or treacle, they are used for 

 jhe expulsion of the soft-bodied intestinal worms. 



MUCUNA URENS, DC. 



Yellow-flowered Cowitch, Horse-eye Bean. 

 Native of West Indies and tropical South America. 



