LAUROCERASUS. 19 



History. — This plant was first introduced into this country in 

 1576, from Trebisonde, and from its vulgar names (Common 

 Bay Laurel, Cherry Laurel) has been sometimes mistaken for 

 the Bay tree (Laurus nobilis). Pereira (op. cit.) states, on the 

 authority of Sprengel, that this plant is the Cerasus trapezuntina 

 of Belonius. It has been but little employed in medicine. 

 Browne Langrish made the first experiments with water dis- 

 tilled from the leaves, and found that in small doses it acts as 

 a dissolvent in animals. Baylis first administered it to man 

 in doses of from thirty to sixty drops in inflammatory diseases 

 and obstruction of the lower bowel, Gerard Thilenus pre- 

 scribed it with advantage in herpetic ulcers, to thin, as he says, 

 the black blood. 



It has also been used by others as a sedative narcotic in tic 

 douloureux, phthisis pulmonalis, spasmodic cough, palpitation of 

 the heart, intermittent fevers, cardialgia, strangury, amenorrhea, 

 haemoptysis, pleurisy, angina pectoris, etc. As an external 

 application in chronic inflammation of the eyes, incipient 

 cataract, chronic inflammation of the mammse, and in painful 

 tumefaction of the uterus, nervous toothache, etc. 



It is a vulgar remedy among the Dutch for inflammation and 



other affections of the lungs. 



Description. — This evergreen perennial shrub grows from 

 fifteen to twenty feet in height; has become completely natu- 

 ralized in this country, generally resisting the winters, but a very 

 severe frost will destroy it. Merat states that a cold of 14^ 

 Fahrenheit will injure it, and the severe frost of 1837-8 destroyed 

 vast numbers in this country. It is a very general inhabitant 

 of our pleasure-grounds. Its flowers are white, slightly tinged 

 with yellow; long and clustering. Its berries are deep purplish 

 black, larger than the common cherry, and have a sweetish not 

 unpleasant taste. The leaves are of a beautiful glossy shining 

 green ; elliptic, oblong ; four to eight inches in length ; 

 slightly serrated on the edge ; stiff and leathery, and provided 

 with a gland on each side of the midrib, half an inch above the 



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