— 
GRATIOLA OFricinALIS. | ORD; XX. Personate. * 861 
and appear in June and. August;. they are tubular, and divided at 
the limb into four obtuse irregular segments, of a pale purple 
colour: the tube is yellow, and intermixed with reddish streaks: 
the peduncles are slender, of a red colour, and support a single 
flower: the calyx consists of five or six elliptical pointed segments: 
the filaments are four, two of which only are furnished with an- 
there: the style is tapering, straight, with a djvided stigma: the 
germen becomes an oval pointed capsule, separated into two cells, 
which contain many: small seeds. It is a native of the South of 
Europe, and. grows usually in wet meadows, 
Kostrzewski, who wrote professedly upon the virtues. of this 
plant,* supposes Matthiolus to be the first botanist by whom it is 
mentioned ;.and the first account of its cultivation in Britain is that 
given by Turner in 1568:° and it now has a place in most of our 
botanical gardens. It has.a strong bitter nauseous taste, but little or 
no odour; and its virtues are extracted.more perfectly by aqueous 
than by spirituous-menstrua, 
It-has been observed,. that. Gratiola resembles Digitalis both in 
the shape of its flowers, and.in its medicinal. effects;.and hence it 
has been called Digitalis minima. It is certainly a powerful and 
active cathartic, and-operates with such violence upon the stomach, 
as generally to induce vomiting ;* and on this account it is thought 
by Chomel to be a medicine adapted only to the more vigorous. 
and robust constitutions.* Many others; however, recommend the. 
* Diss. de Gratiola, Vienne, 1775. Vide page 8... 
® Turn. Herb. cited in the Hort. Kew. 
© Vide Conr.Gesner, Epist. Med. Lib. 3. Dodon. Pempt.p.361. Boerhaave : 
Hist. Pl. Hort. L. B.. Bergius Mat. Med. p,-26. These observations apply to: 
this plant both in its recent and dried state. 
4 Usuell. t..1. p. 48; * Suceus nimirum expressus et inspissatus ad dosin 24 vel 
30 granorum blande purgat absque vomitu, sed lotium efficaciter pellit. [Extractum - 
vero ex. residuo post expressionem aqua erutum et amarius est, et eadem dosi. 
violentius purgat Boulduc, Mem. de l’ Acad, R. d, sc.1705. p. 189. Vide Murray, . 
Ap. Med. vol. 2, p..200, . 
No. 31.—vo1. 3. AY 
