being changed into a monopetalous irregular one, like that of Labiatae. Nov. 

 Act. Acad. N. C. 14. p. 642. t. 37. 



Geography. The largest proportion of this order is found in Europe, 

 which contains more than l-5th of the whole ; North America possesses about 

 ]-7th, India l-25th, South America l-17th ; very few are found in Africa, ex- 

 cept upon the shores of the Mediterranean : eighteen species have, according 

 to Decandolle, been discovered in New Holland. They characterize a cold, 

 damp climate, and are, when met with in the Tropics, found inhabiting the 

 sides and summits of lofty mountains : in the lowland of hot countries they are 

 almost unknown. 



Properties. Acridity, causticity, and poison, are the general characters of 

 tins suspicious order, which, however, contains species in which those qualities 

 are so little developed as to be innoxious. The caustic principle is, according 

 to Krapfen, as cited by Decandolle, of a very singular nature ; it is so volatile 

 that, in most cases, simple drying, infusion in water, or boiling, are sufficient to 

 dissipate it : it is neither acid nor alkaline : it is increased by acids, sugar, 

 honey, wine, spirit, &c, and is only effectually destroyed by water. The 

 leaves of Knowltonia vesicatoria are vised as vesicatories in Southern Africa. 

 Ranunculus glacialis is a powerful sudorific ; Aconitum Napellus and Cam- 

 marum are diuretic. The Hepatica, Aetata racemosa, and Delphinium conso- 

 lida, are regarded as simple astringents. Dec. The roots of several Helle- 

 bores are drastic purgatives ; those of the perennial Adonises are, according to 

 Pallas, emmenagogues ; and those of the several Aconitums, especially Na- 

 pellus and Cammarum, are acrid in a high degree. Ibid. The root of the 

 Aconitum of India, one of the substances called Bikh, or Bish, is a most viru- 

 lent poison. Trans. Med. and Phil. Soc. Calc. 2. 407. Authors are, how- 

 ever, not well agreed what the precise plant is which produces this Bikh, al- 

 though all agree in referring it Ranunculaceae. In India, it seems there are 

 three principal kinds of Bish, varying from each other in their properties, but all 

 belonging to a genus which Dr. Hamilton refers to Caltha. According to this 

 author, the Bishma, or Bikhma, is a strong bitter, very powerful in the cure of 

 fevers : the Bish, Bikh, or Kodoya Bikh, has a root possessing poisonous pro- 

 perties of the most dreadful kind, whether taken into the stomach, or applied 

 to wounds : the Nir Bishi, or Nirbikhi, has no deleterious properties, but is 

 used in medicine. Brewster, 1. 250. For some important information on this 

 Bikh, Vish, Visha, or Ativisha, which Dr. Wallich considers his Aconitum fe- 

 rox, see Plant. As. Par. vol. 1. p. 33. tab. 41. The root of Pseony is acrid 

 and bitter, but is said to possess antispasmodic properties. Ranunculus flam- 

 mula and sceleratus are powerful epispastics, and are used as such in the Heb- 

 rides, producing a blister in about an hour and a half. Their action is, how- 

 ever, too violent, and the blisters are difficult to heal, being apt to pass into ir- 

 ritable ulcers. Ed. Ph. J. 6. 156. Beggars use them for the purpose of 

 forming artificial ulcers, and also the leaves of Clematis recta and flammula. 

 From the seeds of Delphinium staphysagria, the chemical principle called Del 

 phine was procured by MM. Lassaigne and Fenuelle ; it exists in union with 

 oxalic acid. Ibid. 3. 305. The root of Hydrastis canadensis has a strong 

 and somewhat narcotic smell, and is exceedingly bitter ; it is used in North 

 America as a tonic, under the name of Yellow root. Barton, 2, 203. The 

 root of Coptis trifolia, or Gold-thread, is a pure and powerful bitter, devoid of 

 any thing like astringency ; it is a popular remedy in the United States for 

 aphthous affections of the mouth in children. Ibid. 2. 100. The wood and 

 bark of Xanthorhiza apiifolia are a very pure tonic bitter. The shrub contains 

 both a gum and resin, each of which is intensely bitter. Ibid. 2. 203. The 

 seeds of Nigella sativa were formerly employed instead of pepper ; those of 



