AUMATI. 



AROMA. 



UM tun are of a moderate sue, pointed, and habitually crouched 

 backwards; the bucklen of the shoulders and croup an composed of 

 9 and 18 rowi of plate* respectirely, and separated by moveabie bands 



Great Armadillo (D. gigat}. 



to the number of 12 or 13, formed of rectangular scales, about half 

 an inch square. The tail is remarkably thick at the root, being 

 upwards of 10 inches in circumference: it is gradually attenuated 

 towards the tip, covered with plates disposed in rings at the base, and 

 forming spiral or crescent-shaped lines throughout the rest of its 

 length. The claws are remarkably large and powerful, but in their 

 relative form and dimensions differ little from those of the Tatouay 

 already described. 



This species inhabits Brazil and the northern parts of Paraguay. 

 It is never found in the open country, but keeps close to the great 

 forests, and burrows with surprising facility. Those who are 

 employed in collecting the Jesuit's Bark frequently meet with it in the 

 woods, and report that when any of their companions happen to die 

 at a distance from the settlements, they are obliged to surround the 

 body with a double row of stout planks, to prevent it from being 

 scratched up and devoured by the Great Armadillo. 



The remains of Armadillos have been found in the Tertiary Strata, 

 the most remarkable of which is the Glyptodon of Owen. [QLYFTODOV.] 



ARMATI. [AMMONITES.] 



ARNI, the native Indian name of the Wild Buffalo. [Ox.] 



ARNI'CA, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Compo- 

 lila, the tribe Venumiacetr, the sub-tribe Seneciontcr, and the division 

 Xiueaeeinnea. It has n cylindrical involucre, with equal 2-rowed 

 scales ; the flowers of the disk hermaphrodite, tubular ; the limb 

 5-toothed ; the stigmas thickened above, and terminated with a conical 

 pubescent apex ; the flowers of the ray female, bearing degenerated 

 stamens, or with only the rudiments of an anther ; the achenium 

 winged and striated ; the receptacle naked ; the pappus hairy. One 

 species of this genus grows in Europe, the A. monlana, and is known 

 by the common name of Leopard's-Bane. It has oblong-obovate 

 nearly entire 5-nerved radical leaves, a few-flowered stem, with villose 

 or glandulose pubescent peduncles and involucres. This plant is not 

 found in the British Isles, but j abundant in the meadows and forests 

 >f mountainous districts in the middle and north of Europe, and also 

 on the Alps. It blossoms in June and July. 



This plant was at one time admitted into all the British Pharmaco- 

 poeias, but at the present time is only retained in the Dublin. It does 

 not appear ever to have been much used in this country, and perhaps 

 never sufficiently to refute or confirm the strong recommendations of 

 it by German writers. In Germany all parta of the plant are used, 

 the flowers, leaves, and root. The whole plant, but especially the 

 root, possesses a peculiar aromatic but not pleasant odour, and a 

 nauseous taste. The plant has been examined by various chemists, 

 and in every part there has been found an acrid resin and a volatile oil. 

 In combination with these Chevallier and Lassaigne found in the 

 flowers an acrid bitter principle, which they have called Arnicine, and 

 the root contains a considerable quantity of tannin. In large doses it 

 producw inflammation of the Mimentery canal, and coma. In small 

 doses it act* as a general stimulant, increasing the pulsations of the 

 heart, and acting as a diaphoretic and diuretic. It is used in Germany 

 in cases of low fever, also in nervous diseases, in amenorrhoea and 

 adynamic diseases generally. The root by means of its tannin acts as 

 a Oinic on the system. The root is given in powder in the dose of 

 about 1 grains, three times a day, or in infusion. The flowers are 

 used in infusion, in the proportion of 1 drachm of the flowers to 

 80 of boiling water, of which - 'Minces may be given at a dose. 

 In making this infusion care should be taken that the pappus be 

 prevented from getting into it, by means of straining through a linen 

 bag. The German Pharmacopoeias contain several preparations of 

 Arnica, amongst others a tincture, an extract, an essence of the 



lowers, and a vinegar (Afdum Arnica). Amongst homoeopathic 

 |iraetitioner* the tincture is applied to wounds and bruises, and other 

 external useH, and intiniteminal doses of this substance are recom- 

 mended, according to their practice, in many severe diseases. 



(Bischoff, Medicinurk-Phanact*ti*cke Sotanil; 1844; Cbristison's 

 DiMtMOtonr.) 



AKOTOEA, or AR ACE.E, A radt, an order of Monocotyledonous 

 Plants, which approach Dicotyledons in the form and veiuing of their 

 leaves, but agree with the former in everything else of ini|irtancc. 

 They are readily known by their flowers being placed very closely upon 

 a cylindrical or lengthened axis, called technically a spadix (>.</. -t, 

 which is itself inclosed ina leaf of a peculiar figure, the edges of whit -h 

 are curved inwards till they meet, forming a sort of hollow sheath, 

 which botanists name spa the (jig. 1). 



The fruit is generally a cluster of little berries, each of which con- 

 tains a small number of seeds. The flowers themselves are exti 

 variable in structure ; sometimes having neither calyx nor corolla, and 

 sometimes possessing both those parts; sometimes furnished with 

 anthers opening in a singular manner by little lobes, or having anthers 

 of the commonest construction. Many of the species grow upon the 

 trunks of trees, clinging to them in tropical countries like ivy ; a very 

 few are found in Europe, and those are always little stemless herbs ; 

 a small number are small erect shrubs. They are all acrid in a high 

 degree, some of them so much so as to be dangerous poisons, as for 

 example the Dumb-Cane of the West Indies, which paralyses the 

 mouth if only chewed. Nevertheless this acrid principle is so far 

 removed by roasting or boiling, that the underground stems may in 

 some cases be used as food. The Colocaaia of the tropics, and some 

 other species, are common articles of food among the negroes ; but 

 they are said not to agree very well with Europeans. In this country 

 only one kind of Aroideous plant, the .drum maculatum, is found wild. 



Arum ttttlflilatiltn. 



1, A epathe with the point of the spadlx wn within it ; 2, the upadix *-\n- 

 roted ; 3, the ripe fruit ; 4, un ovarlum j 5, the mimr cut ]i< rpcndlrularly ; 

 C, one of the little fruit cut pcrpcndkulaily ; 7, a d. 



The root of that species which is vulgarly named the Cuckoo Pint, ami 

 its spadixes Lords and Ladic., is eatable when properly prepared, jut 

 as those which have already been mentioned. What is called. Port- 

 land Sago ix prepared from it. The spadixes of some species give out 

 a fetid smell. The emanations of Ann,, />,;i--itntultit when in flower 

 produce dizziness, headache, and vomiting. 



AROTHA is the supposed principle of odour in plants, formerly 

 called by Boerhan-. This quality generally resides in 



the essential oil ; but there are some vegetables that have a strong 

 "<!nur which yield but little or no essential oil, an the jasmine and 

 the violet; or when an oil in small quantity is procure,! from th.-m 

 it has not the powerful Binell which, considering the sinalliicus of it 

 proportion compared with the fragrance of the plants, it might be 

 expected to possess. As plants exhale their odour when exposed to 

 the air, and communicate it to water at a lower temperature than 



