COMPOSIT. 307 
bits high, with downy triangular stems as thick as the thamb 
or larger ; heads of seed like those of a thistle, thorny and full 
of down; flowers purple, seeds like these ef carthamus, but — 
rounder. M. M. Husain says:—‘ Some have supposed this 
lant to be the same as the Shukai; this is not the case, but 
é two plants are nearly related. The true Biddward has 
ender, white round stems, little more than a span high, slightly 
soft spines like needles, so that all together they have much 
the appearance of a brooch, within is a quantity of white down, 
which, when the seeds are ripe, causes them to be carried 
about by the wind, hence the name Béd-award. Medicinally 
he plant has tonic, aperient and deobstruent properties. It is 
id to drive away noxious reptiles when kept in the house.” 
Makhzan, article Baddward.) 
The Bad4ward sold in India agrees with the Seaniaton of 
ir Mohammad Husain. YV. divaricata is found on sandy 
Stem flexuose, short, ramous ; branches diffuse, procumbent, 
gularly striated, sub-glabrous, leaves shortly p nt 
ub-glabrous, those of the stem lyrate, of the branches sinu- 
Y pinnatifid, the lobes spinously mucronate, involucre- 
te, scales ovate at the base, araneose, terminating ina 
ckle-like appendage, flowers purple, appear in the cold 
eather, common in light soils in Guzerat.” The drug has a 
ter taste; it is imported from Persia. 
~ Chemical composition.—The powdered drug contains a green — 
essential oil having the odour of southernwood. An acid 
sin and some fatty matter was dissolved out by ether. The 
holic extract contained an organic acid coloured green 
ferric chloride, but unaffected by gelatine. The aqueous 
1 tion of this extract was erystalline when evaporated, and 
a The aque as was 
