112 FLORA HOMCEOPATHICA. 



wrists or fingers for the cure of intermittent fevers. This is 

 mentioned by Van Swieten, Tissot, and some others. In hemi- 

 crania it was applied to the head, and in this case did not 

 produce a discharge nor break the skin, but occasioned tume- 

 faction of the hairy scalp. It was also employed in local 

 spasmodic complaints and in fixed pains ; and Crowfoot is 

 known to be one of the ingredients in Plunket's epithem for 

 cancer." Dr. Withering states that the juice of the Ranunculus 

 fiammula is an instantaneous emetic, " as if nature had fur- 

 nished an antidote to poisons from among poisons of its own 

 tribe; and it is to be preferred to almost any other vomit in 

 promoting the instantaneous expulsion of deleterious substances 

 from the stomach." 



Description. — The Ranunculus bulbosus is a perennial 

 plant, flowering in May and June, " when the meadows are 

 enamelled with its shining yellow blossoms in the greatest 

 profusion." The root is a round, solid bulb, about an inch in 

 diameter, increasing by offsets from the top, and sending out 

 from its base many long stout fibres. Stems several, erect, a 

 foot high, branched, leafy, round, hairy, many-flowered, 

 destitute of trailing shoots or runners. Leaves stalked, vari- 

 ously cut, more or less hairy. Flowers terminal, solitary, on 

 angular furrowed stalks, rough with erect bristly hairs. Petals 

 of a deep shining yellow. Nectary covered by a notched scale. 

 Fruit globose. Seeds orbicular, greatly compressed, bordered, 

 smooth, and even tipped with a short blunt beak. This is one 

 of the most acrid and even caustic species. 



Geographical Distribution.— The genus Ranunculus is 

 distributed all over Europe, Asia, and America. The Ranun- 

 culus bulbosus is very common in Europe, as well as in North 

 America, in meadows and pastures, flowering throughout the 

 summer. 



Parts used in Medicine, and Mode of Preparation. 



The Entire Plant, gathered in June during its flowering. The 

 following directions are given in Stapfs Add. to the Mat 



