BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 47 
single lateral sepal and petal; drupe scarlet and 
kidney-shaped. The root, as it occurs in com- 
merce, is in tortuous sub-cylindrical pieces of 
about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) long, 
and from 34 to 4 inches (2 to 10 centimeters) in 
diameter ; externally of a gray-brown color, with 
many transverse fissures and ridges; internally 
of a pale-brown color. The bark is extremely 
thin for the size of the root. The best variety 
of pareira has scarcely any central pith; in this, 
it differs from the spurious variety, which has 
a hard, tenacious wood dotted with black 
spots. Pareira contains starch, a soft resin, 
malate of lime, potash, and some other 
salts, and also an alkaloid isolated by.Mr. Wig- 
gers, variously termed pelosina, pelosine and 
cessampeline, identical, it is said, to berberina 
or the berberine of the nectandria. Pareira 
brava is aperient, tonic and diuretic, and admin- 
istered in form of decoction extracts, In South 
America a vinous infusion is recommended. 
Dose of the fluid extract is % to 1 fluid drachm 
(2 to4 grams). The root is rarely found in the 
stores : 
_ Cichorium Intybus, Chicory, or Succory, 
Wild Endive.—Natural order Composite. A 
perennial plant attaining a height of from two 
to four feet, native of Europe but now found 
growing in all the sub-tropical countries of the 
world. It has showy compound blue flowers, 
with axillary terminal heads. Flowerets, lingu- 
late and perfect stamens and filaments slender, 
white and unconnected ; anthers deep blue, stig- 
mas circinate and of a dark-blue color; akenes 
. Striate, turbinate, somewhat angular and glab- 
= 
