372 CONIFERS. 



species of Juniper was, however, used by Hippocrates in certain 

 disorders of the womb, and Dioscorides mentions its diuretic 

 properties, its use in cough and pectoral affections, and also 

 its digestive properties. The ashes of the bark were also 

 applied locally in certain skin affections- 



Ibn Sina closely follows Dioscorides and gives no additional 

 information concerning the plant. The several kinds of Jxmi- 

 per growing on the Himalayas do not appear to be used medi- 

 cinally by the Hind^is, and the berries sold in the bazaars by 

 Mahometan druggists are all imported from the west via 

 Bombay. 



In modern medicine Juniper is only used as a diuretic. 



Description. — Juniper-berries are nearly globular, about 

 ^ inch in diameter, dark-purplish, and covered with a bluish- 

 gray bloom; the short stalk at the base contains one or two 

 whorls of the small scales, and the apex is marked by three 

 radiating furrows, which are surrounded by ridges enclosing a 

 triangular space. The three, or by abortion one or two, bony 

 seeds are ovate in shape, triangular above, have six to ten large 

 oil-sacs on their surface, and are imbedded in a browmsh 

 pulp which likewise contains oil-cells. The berries have an 

 aromatic somewhat balsamic odour, and a sweet, terebinthinate, 

 bitterish, and slightly acrid taste. 



Chemical composition* — Juniper -berries were analysed by 

 Trommsdorff (1822), Nicolet (1831), Steer (1S56), and Donath 

 (1873). They contain from ^ to 2^ per cent, of volatile oil, 

 about .30 per cent, of sugar, resins amounting to 10 per cent., 

 4 of protein compounds, fat, wax, formic and acetic acids, 

 malates^ and jimiperin, which is light-yellow, slightly soluble in 

 water, freely so in alcohol and ether, and with a golden-yellow 

 colour in ammonia. Ritthausen (1877) obtained from juniper- 

 berries, containing 1077 per cent, of water, only 14'36 per cent, 

 of sugar, 3-77 of ash, and 3160 of cellulose. 



Oil of juniper- berries is colourless or pale greenish-yellow, 

 hrapid, but on exposure rapidly thickens and turns yellow, and 

 ultimately reddish-brown, at the same time acquiring an acid 



