CROTON TIGLIUM 117 



CORIANDRUM (Coriander Seed) 



Official in every edition of the U. S. P., from 1820 to 1910. 



Coriandrum sativum is indigenous to the regions of 

 the Mediterranean and the Caucasus, from which it 

 has spread throughout the temperate parts of the 

 whole world, even to the Americas. It was mentioned 

 by early Sanskrit writers and in the Mosaic books, 

 Exodus and Numbers, and occurs in the famous Egyp- 

 tian papyrus Ebers (213). Its fruit was used by the 

 Jews and the Romans as a medicine, as well as a spice, 

 in very early days. Cato (132) notes its cultivation; 

 Pliny (514) states that it was obtained in very fine 

 quality in Egypt, and it is frequently mentioned in the 

 book of Apicius Ccelius (24), about the third century 

 A. D. It is also included in the list of valuable prod- 

 ucts of Charlemagne. 



CROTON TIGLIUM (Croton Oil) 



The Oil of Croton Tiglium was introduced into the U. S. P. 

 in 1830, being official in both the New York and the Philadelphia 

 editio E 1 *- ----*--- -.-.~ .,,-,,,, 



1910, 



editions. It is official in all succeeding editions, including that of 

 3, which lists it as Oleum Tiglii (Croton Oil). 



The genus croton, established by Linnaeus in 1737, 

 is extensive, 625 species being recognized in the Index 

 Kewensis. We have a number of herbaceous species 

 in this country, but none of any economic importance. 

 The croton plant is a native of India, and is grown all 

 through the East Indies. It is a small tree, fifteen to 

 twenty feet high. 



Croton Tiglium is considered indigenous to Malabar, 

 Ceylon, Amboina (of the Molucca Islands), the Philip- 

 pines, and Java. Joannes Scott (588a), in his disserta- 

 tion on the medicinal plants of Ceylon, (Edinburgh, 



