DORSTENIA CONTRAYERVA. ORD. XLI. Scabride. 707 
origin, signifying an antidote to poison, it might apply to any 
other plant supposed to possess this power. We are told by 
Clusius, that he received from Sir Francis Drake some roots which 
were brought from Peru, where they were highly valued, and 
reported to counteract the effects of every kind of poison, of 
which the leaves of the same plant were said to be one. This root, » 
in compliment to the ctrcumnavigator, he named Drakena radix, 
and is generally thought by botanists to be that of Contrayerva. 
The generic name, Dorstenia, was first used by Plumier,* and 
afterwards by Linnzus, who makes four species of this genus. 
The root of Contrayerva has a peculiar kind’ of aromatic smell, 
and a light astringent warm bitterish taste, ‘and on being Jong 
chewed it discovers somewhat of a sweetish sharpness. According 
to Lewis, “* Contrayerva root gives out its virtue, by the assistance 
of heat, both to water and rectified spirit, and tinges the former 
of a dark brownish red, the latter of a brighter reddish colour: the 
watery decoction is very mucilaginous, so as not to pass through. 
a filter.” 
The antipoisonous virtues formerly attributed to this root, have 
been long ng very justly exploded as entirely chimerical, so that it is. 
employed as a diaphoretic of a moderately stimulant 
kind, being possessed of less pungency than any other of those 
medicines usually denominated alexipharmic. Putrid and nervous 
fevers are the diseases in which Contrayerva is chiefly used, con- 
formably to the practice of Huxham and Pringle, whose works are 
well known to all our medical readers. 
t Nov. gen. plant, ® Lewis Mat. Med. 
