29 
ANACARDIUM. 
by it, and had lost their memory, and died miserably on account 
of using it too often.” (Hill, Mat. Med., p. 491.) Hence the 
abuse of this drug made it hurtful ; applied homeopathically for 
the same diseases, it becomes a powerful and efficient remedy. 
The name is derived from two Greek words, ava without, and 
xagdiz a heart, because the pulp of the fruit, instead of having 
the seed enclosed, has the nut growing out at the end of it. 
Description.—As the nut mentioned by Hahnemann is with- 
out doubt the fruit of the Semecarpus, and not of the Avicenna 
or Malacca bean, by which name it is erroneously described in 
Gruhener’s Pharmacopeia and Materia Medica, but correctly in 
Dr. Quin’s Pharmacopeia Homeop.; a description of the three 
is subjoined; viz., the nut described by Hahnemann, the Seme- 
carpus, and the Avicenna, by which it will be seen that Hahne- 
mann’s nut agrees with the former, and not with the Avicenna. 
HanneMAnNn, 
“Found in the forests 
of the East Indies :—be- 
tween the external black, 
shining, heart - shaped, 
hard shell and the sweet 
kernel, which is cover- 
ed with a brown, red- 
dish, thin skin, there is a 
thick blackish juice, con- 
tained in a cellular tissue, 
with which the Indians 
mark their linen in an 
indelible manner. In the 
fruit which we receive 
here wiser this 
juice, is commo: 
of the consistence v 
a is generally found 
SEMECARPUS. 
Marking-nut Tree. 
Linnean Class and Order, 
Pentandria, Trigynia. 
Nat. Ord.—Terebintacee. 
A handsome, lofty tree, 
whose bark is rough, ash- 
coloured, and glutinous 
within. Branches nume- 
rous, spreading 
hairy. Leaves alternate, 
on shortish foot-stalks, 
smooth 
forests of the East Indien 
The seed is ripe in Janu- 
ary and February. 
j 
| 
AVICENNA TOMENTOSA. 
Malacca Bean. 
Linnean Class and Order, 
Didynamia, Gymnosper- 
mia. 
Nat. Ord.—Personate. 
Leaves cordate, ovate, 
tomentose (cottony) un- 
derneath. This tree is 
like the mangrove, rising 
te the 
tree like those of the man- 
grove. The leaves appear 
