632 SCROPHULARIACE. 
activity is essentially due to the presence of the alkaloid hyoscyamine (see 
Duboisia), which isa powerful poison resembling atropine and daturine, 
and like them causing dilatation of the pupil. Another powerful alkaloid, 
named hyoscine, has also been found in Henbane. ‘Two varieties of Henbane 
are commonly cultivated, the Annual and the Biennial ; the latter is com- 
monly regarded as the more active, and its leaves and young flowering 
branches are official in the British Pharmacopceia.—H. albus, a native of the 
Mediterranean region, possesses the same properties as, and is probably of 
equal value to, that of H. niger.—H. insanus, a native of Beluchistan, is 
sometimes used for criminal purposes. It is said by Stocks to be a very 
poisonous species. It is called Mountain Hemp. 
Mandragora officinalis, the true Mandrake.—The roots have a fancied 
resemblance to the human form, hence their name, This Mandrake must 
not be confounded with the root of Bryonia dioica, which is also sometimes 
so named (see Bryonia). Mandrake is an acro-narcotic poison, and was 
used by the ancients as an anesthetic. The plant is called Devil’s-apple by 
the Arabs. Mandrake is considered to be the Dudaim of Scripture. 
Nicotiana.—The leaves of various species and varieties supply the 
different kinds of Tobacco now in such general use in some form or other 
in nearly every part of the globe. Mr. Crawford estimated the total annual 
production of tobacco over the whole globe in 1851 at 2,000,000 tons, which, 
at the value of 2d. per pound, would amount to more than 37,000,000/. ster- 
ling. The consumption of tobacco in this country has enormously increased 
of late years, and is still increasing. Thus in the year 1841 the quantity of 
tobacco cleared for consumption in the United Kingdom amounted to 132 0z 
per head of population. In the year 1851 the amount had increased to 
1 lb. 04 oz. per head; in the year 1861 to 1 lb. 33 0z.; in the year 1863 to 
1 lb. 44 oz.; and in the year 1865 to 1 lb. 5 oz. “In 1874, 45,253,303 lbs. of 
unmanufactured tobacco were retained for home consumption, and of manu- 
factured cigars and snuff nearly 1,280,154 lbs., or nearly: 13 Ibs. per head of 
the population, and the duty paid on this was nearly 7,500,000. sterling. 
The total annual production of tobacco over the whole globe at the present 
time is probably not less than 3,000,000 tons. Tobacco owes its principal 
properties to the presence of an alkaloid called nicotine, which is a most 
energetic poison. Tobacco has been employed in medicine as a local stimu- 
lant, and as a sedative, antispasmodic, emetic, laxative, and diuretic; and 
the dried leaves of WN. Tabacum are official in the British Pharmacopeia. 
The principal kinds of Tobacco are the American, Latakia, Cuba, Manila, 
and Havannah, from N. Tabacum ; the Shiraz or Persian, from NV. persica ; 
the East Indian and Turkish, from NN. rustica; and Orinoko, from 
N. latissima. The Tobacco plant has lately been cultivated experimentally 
in this country, but we do not anticipate any very favourable results. 
Scopolia japonica —The root is used in Japan for similar purposes to 
that of Atropa Belladonna in Europe and America, It has been imported 
into this country under the name of Japanese Belladonna root, and described 
by Holmes; it is said to contain solanine. The leaves of ’S. luridus are 
stated by Waring to be equal, if not superior, to those of Belladonna in their 
medicinal properties, 
Cohort 3. Personales.—Flowers generally anisomerous. Corolla 
usually irregular. Stamens epipetalous; posterior stamen 
nearly always suppressed, or appearing as a staminode ; 
generally four and didynamous, or sometimes only two. 
Ovules usually numerous, or two superposed. 
Order 1. ScROPHULARIACEA, the Figwort Order.—C harac- 
ter.—Herbs, or rarely shrubby plants, with alternate, opposite, 
