CHENOPOniACEJJJ. 147 



* 



i 



parts of the country. The African Moors brought it to Si:>ain, 

 whence its use gradually spread to other parts of Europe. It 

 was known in England as Spinach in 1568, and is noticed in 

 Turner^ s Herbal, published in that ycar^ as ^' lately introduced 

 and not much in use. '' Aitchison, in his Botany of the Afghan 

 Delimitation Comniissiony remarks that it grows profusely in the 

 vicinity of Simkoh in the Badghis, and is collected as a potherb 

 by the natives. He says; — ^' I have no doubt Mr. De Candolle 

 is correct in assuming 8. tetrandra to be the wild form of 

 S.oleracea*^^ Spinach is much valued by the Mahometans on 

 account of its cooling and emollient properties, and the seeds 

 are sold in all the Indian bazars. A decoction of the plant is 

 prescribed in febrile affections, in lithiasis, and in inflammation 

 of the lungs or bowels. The juice of the leaves is also used as a 

 diuretic and as a gargle in sore-throat. Poultices of the leaves 

 or boiled seeds are applied to soften tumours and promote the 

 maturation of boils. The herb is considered one of the most 

 digestible and wholesome of vegetables. 



Description. — The plant has large, thick, succulent, deep- 

 green leaves, of a somewhat triangular form, produced on long 

 foot stalks. The stem is erect, large, round and hollow, about 

 two feet high- The male plants are distinguished by their long 

 terminal spikes of ereen flowers, while those of the females are 



some 



axillary, sessile and clustered- The frui< is prickly in 

 varieties and smooth in others. 



Chemical composition, — Besides a large quantity of mucilage 

 spinach contains so large a proportion of nitrates, that the water 

 in which it has been boiled may be used for making touch - 

 paper. The following figures give the mean percentage com- 

 position of three samples of spinach recorded by Konig : — . 



Water 88*47 



Nitrogenous matter 3*49 



Fat 



0-58 



Sugar , OlO 



Nitrogen-free extractive ••,... 4'34 



Fibre 0'93 



Ash ..,,.. 209 



