2 FLORA HOMGOPATHICA. 
The naked corolla of five petals, the upper one hooded, and the two 
recurved, stalked nectaries, concealed within the hollow of the upper- 
most petal or hood, will readily distinguish this from other genera in 
the same class and order (Baxter). 
History.—The plant Axovirov was known to the ancients, and 
mentioned by Nicander, Dioscorides, Theophrastus, Galen, 
Paulus A‘gineta, and others. Itis referred to as a virulent poison; 
but there have been many doubts as to whether the Aconite of 
the Greeks is the same as that used by us at the present 
day. Dioscorides described two species ; Dodonzus, Sprengel, 
and Woodville agree that the second described by that 
author, viz. the Avxorovey (“ Aconitum alterum quod non- 
nulli Cycoctorum, alii Lycoctonum vocant, plurimum in 
Italia nascitur”), is the Aconitum napellus or Wolfsbane. 
The first species, the xzpaduavyes (“ Aconitum aliqui Par- 
dalianches alii Cammarum), is supposed to be the Doronicum 
pardalianches, or Leopard’s Bane. The Aconitum of Theo- 
phrastus has been referred, to the Ranunculus Thora, by 
Sprengel. (Vide Supp. to Dunbar’s Lex.) Allalus, coeval 
with Cato, cultivated, in a garden, the Aconite, and other 
poisonous plants, and administered them for the purpose of ex- 
periment, so as to discover their antidotes. ( Plutarch, Demet.) 
Aconite is often referred to in mythological history; it 
was supposed to be the principal ingredient in the deadly 
draught given to the old men of Ceos, when they had become 
too infirm to be serviceable to their country. Medea was said 
to have used it in composing the poisonous drink she intended 
Theseus to quaff. It is also fabled as caused by Hecate - 
to spring from the mouth of Cerberus: “ Ut ab Hecate in- 
ventum aut ex Cerberi spuma enatum pronunciarent.” Theo- 
phyastip relates that there was a mode of preparing the Aconite 
in his day, so that it should only destroy at the end of 
one or two years. It is asserted, that thé huntsmen of the 
Alps dipped their arrows into the juice of this plant when 
hunting wolves; hence the name Wolfsbane. In later times it 
