884 COMPOSITE 



chemists, whose labours have shown that its pungent taste is due in 

 great part to a resin, not yet fully examined. The root also contains a 

 little volatile oil besides, sugar, gum, and a trace of tannic acid. The 

 so-called Pyrethrin is a mixed substance. 



Commerce — The root is collected chiefly in Algeria and is exported 

 from Oran and to a smaller extent from Algiers. But from the informa- 

 tion we have received from Colonel Playfair, British. Consul-General for 

 Algeria, and from Mr. Wood, British Consul at Tunis, it appears that 



the greater part is shipped from Tunis to Leghorn and Egypt. Mr. 



Wood was informed that the drug is imported from the frontier town 

 of Tebessa in Algeria into the regency of Tunis, to the extent of 500 



cantars (50,000 lb.) per annum. 



Bombay imported in the year 1871-72, 740 cwt. of this drug, of 

 which more than half was shipped to other ports of ludia.^ 



Uses — Chiefly employed as a sialogogue for the relief of toothache, 

 occasionally in the form of tincture as a stimulant and rubefacient. 



Substitute— In Germany, Russia and Scandinavia, African pellitory 

 is replaced by the root of Anacyclus officinarum Hayne, an annual 

 herb long cultivated in Prussia and Saxony.' Its root of a light grej is 

 only half as thick as that of ^. Fyrethrwm, and is always abundantly 

 provided with adherent remains of stalks and leaves. It is quite as 

 pungent as that of the perennial species. 



FLORES ANTHEMIDIS. 



Chamomile Flowers; F. Fleurs de Camoniille Bomaine; G. Rdmische 



Kamillen. 



Botanical Ongin— Ant] icmis nohilis L., the Common or Roman 

 Chamomile, a small creeping perennial plant, throwing up in the hitter 

 part of the summer solitary flower-heads. 



It IS abundant on the commons in the neighbourhood of London, 

 and generally throughout the south of England ; and extends to Ireland, 

 but IS not a native of Scotland, except the islands of Bute and Cumbrae 

 where Anthemis is stated to gi-ow wild. It is plentiful in the west and 

 centre of France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Dalmatia; and occurs as a 



doubtful nativp in SnufT.^, °i n„„i„„i -d„„,.- 



1 1 7> 1 ""^^' Kjpaiii, iuitugai, Italy, ana jjaix... — , 



cloubttul native in Southern and Central Russia. 



History— The identification of the chamomile in the classical and 

 other ancient authors seems to be impossible, on account of the large 

 number of allied plants having similar inflorescence. 



Ihe chamomile has been cultivated for centuries in x^nji.— o- . 

 the flowers being a common domestic medicine. The double variet) 

 was wen known in the 16th century^ . ^ 



Ihe plant was introduced, according to Gesner, into Germany hon 

 Spain about the close of the middle a|es. Tragus first designated i 

 Uiamomilla nohilis.^ and Joaebim n^n.nrnr;n« n.50S). who had ob- 



English gardens. 



o/\£"'Si//"7^^'H«"'^^^«-'ff^'''^" n-^"y the epithet cdel (=f^f) 'jjj 



Pt. ii 1 9 98 ^ ""-^ ^'"'^"^ ^^ 1871-72, quently used in popular botany to^de^J^ 



'^ For fui-ti».r iT.f J.- liate useful or remarkable plants. |j^g 



cinal spedS of '^f''™''^^«» ^^ the meJi- may have been induced to bestow t on .^^ 



Dr. P. Ascherson r /f '''^ '"f ^ i'^^^' ^y ^P^cies under notice, on accoun «i 



1S58. ''''^'"«'^" ^ry Bonphmdia, 15 April superiority to Matricaria CV'^'f/^^'Ger- 



'DeStirpmm iv-.o i.a t., Bo-caWed Commoi^ Chamovnk ot i 



• . ., 1002, 149.— In Ger- mans. 



