CONIFERS. S7S 



reaction; the fresK-distilled oil from old juniper-berries istliick- 

 isli and light-yellow. Its specific gravity is about "870, but 

 varies between '85 and ^90; it begins to boil at 155^ C, or, if 

 obtained from ripe berries, at 205"^ C. (Blancbet), has the peculiar 

 odour of the berries and a warm, aromatic, somewhat sweetish 

 and terebinthinate taste, shows a neutral reaction to test-paper, 

 turns polarized light slightly to the left, and is slightly soluble 

 in alcohol, forming with 10 or 12 parts of 80 per cent, alcohol or 

 with 2 or 3 parts of officinal alcohol a more or less turbid solu- 

 tion ; but it yields clear mixtures with carbon disulphide in all 

 proportions. Iodine dissolves slowly in the limpid oilj but acts 

 more energetically upon the thickened oil, sometimes producing 



4 



f ulmination ; sulphuric acid colours it brown and red. Old oil 

 of juniper contains formic acid, from which it may be freed by 

 sodium carbonate and rectification. 



The oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons of the general formula 

 C^o H^^, which differ in their boiling-point, a portion boiling at 

 382''C. It yields with hydrochloric acid gas a liquid 

 compound. {Stille and Maisch, ) 



TAXUS BACCATA, Linn 



Fig.— Wall. Tent FL Nep., t. 57; Grif. Ic. PL AsiaL,S76; 

 BentL and Trim., U 253. Yew {Eng.), If (io\). 



Plab. — Temperate Himalaya. The leaves. 

 Femac^e/ar,— Talispatar [Ind. Bazars). 



History, Uses, &C. — Under the name of Talisa-pattra 

 or Talipattra, Sanskrit medical writers describe a drug which 

 has carminative, expectorant, stomachic, tonic and astringent 

 properties, and is useful in phthisis, asthma, bronchitis, and 

 vesical catarrh ; the powdered leaves are given with the juice of 

 Adhatoaa Vasica (vasaka) and honey in cough^ asthma, and 

 haemoptysis. A confection called Talisadya churna is prepared 

 with Talispattra, black pepper, long pepper, ginger, bamboo- 



