30-2 
The other more or less prominent medical plants are: the West-Indian 
Jamaica Quassia or Bitter Ash (Picrena excelsa, Lindl.), noted for its extreme 
and lasting bitter wood, so largely used in commerce for the manufacture of 
Quassia-cups, the water from which is useful as a stomachic tonic, anthelmintic, 
and antiperiodic ; the Brazilian Szmarouba versicolor, St. Hil. noted as being so 
bitter that insects will not attack the wood; and the Indian Mima guassioides, 
Hamilt., employed as a bitter tonic in the North of India. 
History and Habitat.—This large tree, that has caused more newspaper 
comment than any other now planted in this country, is a native of China, and is 
included in this work as an American remedy because it is from the naturalized 
tree that our provings were made. oe 
The Ailanthus tree was introduced into England in the year 1751, and 
thrived well; about the year 1800 it was brought to this country, and soon grew 
in public favor as an ornamental tree for lawns, walks and streets; later on it 
became in greater demand on account of its supposed property of absorbing from 
the atmosphere malarial poisons; under this new idea the tree became a great 
favorite in cities and large towns, especially as its growth was rapid and its 
beautiful foliage pleasing. The occurrence, however, of several severe epidemics, 
especially in the larger cities, set people thinking—might not this tree, which so 
fully absorbs poison, also throw off toxic effluvia? may it not store up the 
noxious gases and again set them forth in the flowering season? Certainly the 
staminate flowers smell bad enough to lay any disease to their emanations. A 
war upon the trees followed, both wordy and actual, which almost banished them 
from the country. The feeling, however, died a natural death, and to-day many 
fine trees abound, especially in the larger eastern cities. | 
Another vote for its preservation lay in the fact that the tree afforded material 
for a silkworm (Adacus Cynthia, Drury), which has been successfully acclimated 
in this country by Dr. Stewardson and Mr. Morris. The cost of production of 
silk from their culture is said to be about one-fourth that of mulberry silk, beside, 
the product is tough and stronger than any other fabric made; it is said that the 
Chinese wear garments of this material through several generations of constant use. 
The bark of the tree was experimented with in France about the year 1859, 
and found to be emetic, cathartic and anthelmintic. The bark has been employed 
by Roberts and others, both dried and fresh, as a remedy for dysentery and © 
diarrhoea, and as an injection in gonorrhoea and leucorrhcea; an alcoholic extract _ 
was found by Prof. Hetet* efficacious in the removal of tapeworm, though the 
prostrating nausea caused by the draught renders it disagreeable. The tincture — 
has been used in doses of from five to sixty drops in palpitation of the heart, 
asthma and epilepsy. 
_PART USED AND PREPARATION.—Equal parts of the fresh shoots, leaves 
and blossoms, and the young bark, are chopped and pounded to a pulp and- 
weighed. Then two parts by weight of alcohol are taken, the pulp mixed thor- . 
* Four. de Chine Med., Dec., 1859. 
