O44 ROSACEZ—SANGUISORBEZ—POMEA. 
Quillaia saponaria—The bark of this and other species contains a large 
amount of saponine. It is employed in some parts of America as a substitute 
for soap. It has been much used in this country as a detergent in cases 
of scurfiness and baldness. 
Rosa.—The various species and varieties of this genus are well known 
for the beauty of their flowers and for their delicious odours. The fruits 
(which are commonly known under the name of hips) of R. canina, the 
Dog-rose, and of other allied species or varieties, employed in medicine 
for their refrigerant and astringent properties; *,. are official in the 
British Pharmacopeeia. The fresh and dried petals of the unexpanded flowers 
of R. gallica constitute the official Red-rose petals of the British Pharmaco- 
poeia.. They are used in medicine asa mild astringent and tonic, and on 
account of their colour. The petals of R. centifolia, the Hundred-leaved or 
Cabbage-rose, and of some of its varieties and allied species, are remarkable 
for their fragrance. Rose-water is prepared by distilling the fresh petals 
with water to which a little spirit of wine has been added. The petals of 
R. centifolia are also employed in medicine as a mild laxative; the fresh 
fully-expanded petals are official in the British Pharmacopeia. The vola- 
tile oil known in commerce as Attar or Otto of Rose is now almost exclu- 
sively obtained from Roumelia on the southern slopes of the Balkan 
mountains. [t is also largely produced in India, and to some extent in 
other parts, but the otto of these districts is almost, if not entirely, consumed 
in the countries whence it is obtained. The species cultivated for this pur- 
pose in Roumelia and India is Rosa damascena. All commercial Otto of 
Rose is obtained by distillation, and, according to Heber, it requires 20,000 
roses to yield Otto of Rose equal in weight to that of a rupee. In Turkey 
5,000 pounds (German weight) of roses are said to yield by careful dis- 
tillation one pound of oil. It is exported from Smyrna and Constantinople. 
Otto of Rose is rarely or ever pure when imported into this country. 
It is commonly adulterated with spermaceti, and a volatile oil which ‘is 
derived from Andropogon pachnodes, Trin. (A. schenanthus, Linn.). This 
oil is known under the names of Oil of Geranium, Rusa Oil, or Rusa-ka-tel. 
and is imported into Turkey from India for the express purpose of adul- 
terating Otto of Rose. (See Pelargonium.) 
Rubus.—Several species of this genus yield edible fruits: thus, the fruit 
of Rubus Ideus is the Raspberry ; that of R. fruticosus, the Blackberry ; 
that of R. cewsius, the Dewberry ; and that of R. Chamzmorus, the Cloud- 
berry. The bark of the root of R. villosus. and R. canadensis is much 
employed as an astringent in some parts of North America, and is official in 
the United States Pharmacopeeia. ? 
Spirea.—S. filipendula and S. Ulmaria—The roots of these plants 
have tonic properties. S$. Ulmaria is called Meadow-sweet from the fra- 
~ grance of its flowers, which is due to the presence of coumarin. Seemann 
savs that in Kamtschatka a strong liquor is prepared from the root of 
S. Kamtschatha. 
Sub-order 4. SANGUISORBE®.—The plants of this sub-order have gene- 
rally astringent properties like the Rosex. : 
‘Acwna Sanguisorba.—The leaves are used in Australia as a substitute 
for tea. ?, 
Alchemilla arvensis, Field Ladies’ Mantle or Parsley Piert, is astringent 
and tonic. It is also reputed to be diuretic, and was formerly thought to 
be useful in gravel and stone ; hence it was called break-stone. 
Sub-order 5. Pomra:.—Many plants of this sub-order yield edible fruits, 
and from their seeds hydrocyanic acid may be frequently obtained. 
Amelanchier canadensis.—Yhe fruit is known in Rupert’s Land, &é., 
under the name of Shad-berry or Service-berry. It is used for mixing with 
Pemmican, an article of Arctic diet. (See Prunus.) 
Eriobotrya japonica produces a fruit called the Loquat. Some of these 
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