548 FABACE^. [Perigynous Exooens. 



and Red Sandal-wood belong to Pteroearpus Draco and Santalinus, Gum Lac to Ery- 

 thrina monosperma. The Dalbergia monetaria of Linnaeus yields a resin very similar 

 to Di*agon's-blood. A similar juice is yielded by Butea frondosa and superba, harden- 

 ing upon their branches into beautiful ruby-colom-ed astringent masses, called Gum 

 Butea, and used by the natives of North-western India for precipitating their Indigo, and 

 in tanning ; English tanners, however, object to its use on account of the colour which 

 it communicates to leather. Euchresta Horsfieldia is regarded by the Javanese as a 

 specific against the poison of venomous animals, or even such as is taken mto the 

 stomach ; it is supposed to act as an emetic, in large doses. — Horsfield. The pods are 

 sold, according to Leschenault, for 5 or even as much as 1 sous French money each. 

 The seed of Psoralea corylifolia is considered by the native practitioners of India 

 stomachic and deobstruent. A strong infusion of the root of Mucuna pruriens, 

 sweetened with honey, is used by the native practitioners of India in cases of cholera 

 morbus. A decoction of the bitter root of Tephrosia purpurea is prescribed by the 

 Indian doctors against dyspepsia, hentery, and t;yTnpanitis. The powdered leaf of 

 Indigofera Anil is used in hepatitis. The leaves of the Phaseolus trilobus (called Sem, 

 or Simbi) are considered by the Indian practitioners cooling, sedative, antibilious, and 

 tonic, and useful as an application to weak eyes. The roots and herbage of Baptisia 

 tinctovia have been found to possess antiseptic and sub-astringent properties. They 

 have also a cathartic and emetic effect. This emetic quahty is also possessed by others. 

 The root of Clitoria Ternatea is so, and similar properties will be found to exist among 

 the tribe Mimoseae. 



Others are diuretics, as the roots of Beans, Genistas, Ononis, and Anthylhs Her- 

 mannise. 



A few produce gum ; Tragacanth is yielded by Asti'agalus verus and similar spiny 

 species ; A. creticus {-jroTiqpiov, Diosc.) and A. aristatus (rpayuKavOa, Diosc.) furnish it in 

 Greece, A, gummifer in Mount Lebanon and in Koordistan, and A. strobiliferus in the 

 latter country. — £ot. Reg. 1840, Misc. p. 38. 



Among dyes are Indigo, produced from various species of Indigofera, especially 

 tinctoria and cterulea, which last is particularly extolled by Roxbm'gh for its excellence. 

 In Nubia, Tephrosia Apollinea fui'nishes it, and in the countries bordering on the Niger 

 T. toxicaria or some alhed species. — Gard. Chron. 1842, p. 640. The flowers of 

 Butea frondosa and superba discharge a beautiful yellow or orange dye, Styplmolobium 

 (Sophora) japonicum yields the same colour from the austere pulp of its pods. 

 Baptisia tinctoria produces Indigo of indifferent quaUty. Genista tinctoria affords a 

 good yellow colom*, and with woad a good green. Ray says the milk of cows feeding 

 upon it is rendered bitter, which flavour is communicated to butter and cheese. 



Several afford timber of excellent quahty, especially the Robinia Pseudacacia, or 

 Locust-tree, which is light, bright-yellow, hard, and extremely dm*able, but brittle. The 

 wood of Laburnum is a light olive-green, beautifully gi-ained, and suitable for cabinet- 

 makers' purposes. Pteroearpus dalbergioides, and several species of Dalbergia, are 

 remarkable in India for the excellence of their wood. Sissoo, the timber of the 

 Dalbergia of that name, is one of the most valuable of forest-trees. The Itaka 

 wood of Guiana, remarkable for its black and brown streaks, on wliich account it is 

 employed in cabinet work, is produced by Machserium Schomburgkii. 



In a very large number of species narcotic properties have been recognised. The 

 seeds of Lathyrus Aphaca have been ah-eady mentioned. Those of Abrus precatorius, 

 whose scarlet seeds, Avith a black scar, ai'e commonly used as beads, Anagyris foetida, 

 and others, have a similar property. This, however, is positively denied, in the case of 

 Abrus, by Dr. Macfadgeu, who asserts them to be hai-mless, and merely indigestible. 

 The leaves of Arthrolobium scorpioides are capable of being employed as vesicatories. 

 The juice of Coronilla varia is poisonous. The roots of Phaseolus radiatus are narcotic, 

 and so are those of P. multifloi-us, the Scarlet Running Kidney-bean, which a year or 

 two ago poisoned some cliildren at Chelsea, who had partaken of them. Both the 

 Laburnums (Cytisus alpinus and Laburnum) have caused serious accidents to children 

 who have swallowed their venomous seeds : and C. Weldeni is reported to poison the 

 milk of the Dalmatian goats that browse upon its foliage. The dye called Indigo is a 

 formidable vegetable poison. Schomburgk states that the violet blossoms of Sabinea 

 florida ai'e dangerous. The seeds of Ervum ErAolia, the Bitter Vetch, mixed with flom* 

 and made mto bread, produce weakness of the extremities, especially of the limbs, and 

 render horses almost paralytic. Andii'a inermis and retusa, and some Geoffroeas, 

 especially G. vermifuga and spinulosa, have an anthelmintic bark, with a disagi'eeable 

 smell and a sweet mucilaginous taste ; the effects are drastic, emetic, purgative, and 

 narcotic ; poisonous in large doses, producing violent vomiting with fever and dehrium. 

 A few years since, hundreds of sheep perished in the Swan River Colony, in consequence 

 of their croppmg the leaves of some plant wild there ; according to an' official report, it 



