156 _ . CARVOPHYLLEG:. 
-an jaundice, cough, liver, spleen, asthma, and pleurisy ; that 
on account of its supposed detergent action on the uterus, ib 
‘was called “ aureum poculum,” and was also applied external | 
with meal to resolve tumours, &c. Struthium has ' been ‘ 
identified by some with S, officinalis, Linn., and by others with a 
Gypsophila Struthium, Linn., both of them plants havi 
properties identical with §. Vaccaria, which is also 4 European. 
plant. The “Arabs are acquainted with the soapworts under the 
name of El-sébuniyeh. ' 
Lebeeuf, of Bayonne, was the first to discover the emulsifying 
properties of saponin and of tinctures of those drugs which 
contain it, such as Senega, Quillaya, &c. * le 
The physiological action of saponin is that of a pow 
sternutatory ; injected subcutaneously it greatly irritates t 
_ to its presence have been long in un 
Description.—s, Vaccaria is a tall, robust, simple oF 
‘Sparingly branched, perfectly glabrous annual, with oblong 
acute leaves, and linear-ob] . 
se in India and elsewhere. — 
and saline. The roots are ven: 
8, and about the size of a 
and easi] ble; interna/y 
’ firm and white, : ee — i 
to Ohewiead corm position =A. ditanions of tho:root ie, books 
felts of iron, ‘and its decoction froths like soap and. 
5 ces 3 ae ee oe — pe ae 
