94 



the leaves slightly touched the first three fingers of my left hand : at the timfe 

 I only perceived a slight pricking, to which I paid no attention. This was 

 at seven in the morning. The pain continued to increase ; in an hour it had 

 become intolerable : it seemed as if some one was rubbing my fingers with a 

 hot iron. Nevertheless, there was no remarkable appearance; neither swell- 

 ing, nor pustule, nor inflammation. The pain rapidly spread along the arm, 

 as far as the armpit. I was then seized with frequent sneezing and with a 

 copious running at the nose, as if I had caught a violent cold in the head. 

 About noon I experienced a painful contraction of the back of the jaws, 

 which made me fear an attack of tetanus. I then went to bed, hoping that 

 repose would alleviate my suffering ; but it did not abate ; on the contrary, 

 it continued during nearly the whole of the following night; but I lost the 

 contraction of the jaws about seven in the evening. The next morning the 

 pain began to leave me, and I fell asleep. I continued to suffer for two 

 days ; aftd the pain returned in full force when I put my hand into water. I 

 did not finally lose it for nine days." A similar circumstance occurred, with 

 precisely the same symptoms, to a workman in the Calcutta Garden. This 

 man described the sensation, when water was applied to the stung part, as if 

 boiling oil was poured over him. Another dangerous species was found by 

 the same botanist in Java (U. stimulans), but its effects were less violent. 

 Both these seem to be surpassed in virulence by a nettle called daoun 

 setan, or devil's leaf, in Timor ; the effects of which are said, by the natives, 

 to last for a year, and even to cause death. 



The common Hop, Humulus lupulus, is a rather anomalous genus of this 

 order, remarkable, as is well known, for its bitterness ; the active principle of 

 it is called by chemists Lupulin. 



Examples. Urtica, Parietaria, Bbhmeria. 



LXXIX. ULMACEiE. The Elm Tribe. 



Ul.MACE^, Mirhel Elim. 905. (1815); Lindl. Synops. 225. (1829.)— CELTiDEiE, Rich. 



Diagnosis. Apetalous dicotyledons, with definite suspended ovula, 

 solitary or loosely clustered flowers, a 2-celled indehiscent fruit, and alternate 

 stipulate scabrous leaves. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Floivers hermaphrodite or polygamous. Calyx divided, 

 campanulate, inferior. Slnmcns definite,, inserted into the base of the calyx ; erect in aesti- 

 vation. Ovarium superior, 2-celled ; ovnles solitary, pendulous ; stigmas 2, distinct. Fruit 

 1- or 2-celled, indehiscent, membranous or drupaceous. Seed solitary, pendulous ; albumen 

 none, or in very small quantity ; embryo with foliaceous cotyledons ; radicle superior. — 

 Trees or shrubs, with scabrous, alternate, simple, deciduous leaves, and stipulae. 



Affinities. Nearly related to Urticese, from which they are only 

 distinguishable by the 2-celled fruit, pendulous seeds, and radicle turned 

 towards the hilum ; from Artocarpcaj they are known by their inflores- 

 cence, dry fruit, and double ovarium. 



Ge(igrapiiy. Natives of the north of Asia, the mountains of India, 

 China, North America, and Europe ; in the latter of which countries they 

 form valuable timber-trees. 



Properties. The inner bark of the Elm is slightly bitter and astrin- 

 gent, but it does not appear to possess any important quality. The sub- 



