103 



having been found in tropical Africa, including the islands, and a sixtli 

 being perhaps about the proportion in India. A good many species inhabit 

 the Cape, where they generally assume a succulent habit ; and there are 

 almost 120 species from Europe, including the basin of the Mediterranean : 

 of these, 16 only are found in Great Britain, and 7 in Sweden. 



Properties. The excellent monograph of M. Adrien de Jussieu con- 

 tains the best information that exists upon this subject; and .1 accordingly 

 avail myself of it, making a few additions to his facts. The general property 

 is that of excitement, which varies greatly in degree, and consequently in 

 effect. This principle resides chiefly in the milky secretion of the order, and 

 is most powerful in proportion as that secretion is abundant. The smell and 

 taste of a few are aromatic ; but in the greater part the former is strong and 

 nauseous, the latter acrid and pungent. The hairs of some species are 

 stinging. The bark of various species of Croton is aromatic, as Cascarilla ; 

 and the flowers of some, such as Caturus spiciflorus, give a tone to the 

 stomach. Many of them act upon the kidneys, as several species of Phyl- 

 lanthus, the leaves of Mercurialis annua, and the root of Ricinus communis. 

 Several are asserted by authors to be useful in cases of dropsy ; some Phyl- 

 lanthuses are emmenagogue. The bark of several Crotons, the wood of 

 Croton Tiglium and common Box, the leaves of the latter, of Cicca disticha, 

 and of several Euphorbias, are sudorific, and used against syphilis; the root 

 of various Euphorbias, the juice of Commia, Anda, Mercurialis perennis, and 

 others, are emetic; and the leaves of Box and Mercurialis, the juice of 

 Euphorbia, Commia, and Hura, the seeds of Ricinus, Croton Tiglium, &c. 

 &c., are purgative. Many of them are also dangerous, even in small doses, 

 and so fatal in some cases, that no practitioner would dare to prescribe 

 them ; as, for example, Manchineel. In fact, there is a gradual and insen- 

 sible transition, in this order, from mere stimulants to the most dangerous 

 poisons. The latter have usually an acrid character, but some of them are 

 also narcotic, as those Phyllanthuses, the leaves of which are thrown into 

 water to intoxicate fish. Whatever the stimulating principle of Euphorbia- 

 ceee may be, it seems to be of a very volatile nature, because application of 

 heat is sufficient to dissipate it. Thus the root of the Jatropha Manihot 

 or Cassava, which when raw is one of the most violent of poisons, becomes 

 a wholesome nutritious article of food when roasted. In the seeds the albu- 

 men is harmless and eatable, but the embryo itself is acrid and dangerous. 

 Independently of this volatile principle, there are two others belonging to 

 the order, which require to be noticed : the first of these is Caoutchouc, 

 that most innocuous of all substances, produced by the most poisonous of all 

 families, which may be almost said to have given a new arm to surgery, and 

 which has become an indispensable necessary of hfe ; it exists in Artocarpeai 

 and elsewhere, but is chiefly the produce of species of Euphorbiacese. The 

 other is the preparation called Turnsol, which, although chiefly obtained 

 from Crozophora (Croton) tinctoria, is to be procured equally abundantly 

 from many other plants of the order. 



The properties of Euphorbiacese are so important, that I do not think I 

 should fulfil the object of this work, if I did not, in addition to the foregoing 

 general view of the order, add a detailed list of the qualities of the most 

 important species named by writers. 



Acalypha Cupameni, an Indian herb, has a root which, bruised in hot 

 water, is cathartic ; a decoction of its leaves is also laxative. Rkeede, 10. 161. 

 The nut of Aleurites ambinux is eatable and aphrodisiac, but rather indi- 

 gestible. Commers. according to Ad. de J. The nuts of another species 

 are eaten in Java and the Moluccas; but they are intoxicating, uidess they 

 are roasted. Rump/i. The Anda of Brazil is famous lor the purgative (jua- 



