PULSATILLA NIGRICANS. 105 



the common receptacle, and retain their styles, which, when 

 the seeds go off, resemble long downy tails. It was first culti- 

 vated in England, by Mr. Miller, in 1731, and in our gardens 

 it very much resembles the A. pulsatilla, which would, in all 

 probability, prove a good substitute for it.* The principal dis- 

 tinction between these species, as they grow naturally, are 

 taken from the flower, which in this species is more pendulous, 

 of a darker colour, and has the apices of the petals reflexed. 

 The stem is also said to be less hairy and shorter than that of 

 the Pulsatilla, to which may be added, that the leaves of the 

 A. pratensis are somewhat tomentose, while those of the A. Pul- 

 satilla are bright green. 



Geographical Distribution. — Pulsatilla nigricans (A. 

 pratensis) is found in Scandinavia, Denmark, Piedmont, and 

 Germany, where it grows in open fields. Very common in 

 the barren, stony fields of Oeland. It is also found in some 

 parts of France, Russia, and Turkey. 



Parts used in Medicine, and Mode of Preparation. 



For homoeopathic purposes, the Whole Plant is taken; the 

 juice is expressed and treated as in all other fresh plants. 



Physiological Effects.— This plant has an extremely acrid 

 taste when chewed, and corrodes the tongue and fauces, and 

 the dried plant retains a considerable share of acrimony. 



Hahnemann says: "The boring, cutting pain that the in- 

 ternal use of the Meadow Anemone {Anemone pratensis) causes 

 in weak eyes, led to its successful employment in amaurosis, 

 cataract, and opacity of the cornea ; the cutting headache caused 

 by the internal employment of the inflammable crystalline salt, 

 obtained by distillation with water, would lead us to employ 

 this plant in a similar case." The sensible operation of the 

 Pulsatilla was nausea and vomiting, particularly when dis- 



limil 



cilmemami 



use the A. pratensis in making our preparations, and it would be as well to desig- 



morica 



