648 



G U A 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



G U A 



single, roundish, large. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Petals, 

 five, together with the Stamina, inserted into the bell-shaped 

 corolla. Berry : dry, five-cornered, inferior, containing one 

 seed. The only known species is, 



1. Gronovia Scandens; Climbing Gronovia. This is an 

 annual plant, which sends forth many trailing branches like 

 those of the Cucumber, closely set with broad leaves, in shape 

 like Vine-leaves ; those on the stalk are covered with small 

 spines, or rather hooked hairs, which sting like the nettle: 

 the branches have many tendrils, by which they fasten them- 

 selves to other plants, and thus will rise to the height of six 

 or eight feet. The flowers are small, axillary, and in bunches, 

 of a greenish yellow colour, and make no great appearance. 

 It has a strong smell. Native of Vera Cruz. This being a 

 very tender plant, must be raised on a hot-bed early in the 

 spring, and afterwards placed in the bark-stove. 



Ground Ivy. See Glecoma. 



Groundsel. See Scnecio. 



Groundsel-tree. See Baccharis. 



Guaiacum ; a genus of the class Decandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth five-leaved; 

 leaflets ovate-oblong, concave, obtuse, spreading, deciduous ; 

 the two outer ones a little smaller. Corolla: petals five, 

 roundish-obovate, obtuse, concave, spreading, longer than 

 the calix, ending in short claws, inserted into the receptacle. 

 Stamina: filamenta subulate, broader at the base, upright, 

 shorter than the corolla, inserted into the receptacle; an- 

 therse oblong, finally recurved. Pistil : germen broader 

 above, angular, pedicelled ; style short, subulate ; stigma 

 simple, acute. Pericarp : capsules two to five, on very short 

 pedicels, compressed, membranaceous, covered with a pulpy 

 rind, gibbous on the outside, united on the inside, separating 

 when ripe, gaping. Seeds: solitary, bony, oblong. ESSEN- 

 TIAL CHARACTER. Cafe: five-cleft, unequal. Petals: five, 

 inserted into the receptacle. Capsule : angular, five-celled. 

 The species are, 



1 . Guaiacum Officinale ; Officinal Guaiacum, or Lignum 

 Vita. Leaflets in two pairs, obtuse. This grows to be a very 

 large tree, covered with a hard, brittle, brownish bark, not 

 very thick. The wood is firm, solid, ( and ponderous, appear- 

 ing very resinous, of a blackish yellow within, and of a hot 

 aromatic taste. The smaller branches have an ash-coloured 

 bark. Petals ovate, entire ; leaflets two pairs, elliptic, sessile, 

 entire, veined, shining. Browne describes this tree as an 

 evergreen of a dark gloomy cast, continuing its verdure in 

 the driest seasons, and at times throwing out a great number 

 of blue flowers, which are succeeded by compressed berries 

 of a roundish form. The tree takes many years to arrive at 

 its full growth. The roots run far into the ground perpendi- 

 cularly, contrary to the usual growth of timber-trees in the West 

 Indies, which generally shoot the largest prongs of their roots 

 in an horizontal direction, and are commonly observed to run 

 very near the surface. The bark is thick and smooth ; the 

 wood of a dark olive colour, and cross-grained, the strata 

 running obliquely into one another in the form of an X. As 

 timber, it answers where strength and duration are required, 

 and its weight no impediment. It takes a fine polish, and 

 answers well in the turner's lathe ; but is now chiefly used 

 for the sheaves of ships' blocks. The tree rises to the height 

 of forty feet, and measures from fifteen to eighteen inches in 

 diameter. It is certainly one of the most valuable in the 

 West Indies ; since the body, the bark, gum, fruit, leaves, 

 and blossom, are all applicable to some useful purpose. The 

 gum is obtained by jagging the body of the tree in May. It 

 exudes copiously from the wounds, though gradually ; and 

 when a quantity is found accumulated, hardened by exposure 



to the air and sun, it is gathered and packed in small kegs. 

 This gum is sometimes suspected to have been sophisticated 

 by the negroes, with the gum of the Manchineal-tree, to 

 which it bears some similitude at the first appearance ; but it 

 is easily distinguished by dissolving a litt'le in spirits : the 

 true gum imparts a whitish tinge; but the Manchineal gives 

 a greenish cast: and this is still further distinguishable by 

 pouring a little of the same tincture into water, which takes 

 from the Guaiacum almost immediately the complexion of 

 milk. The fruit is purgative ; and for medicinal use, far excels 

 the bark. From the flowers is prepared also a laxative 

 syrup, resembling syrup of Violets. The fresh bark opens 

 the body, and is deemed a sweetener of the blood ; but the 

 pulp of the berries purges and vomits very violently. The 

 resinous parts of the tree are of a warm, active nature, and 

 found by long experience to attenuate and dissolve the blood : 

 they are esteemed specifics in old venereal taints, chronical 

 rheumatisms, and other disorders arising from the sizyness 

 of the juices, and generally administered in decoctions, (the 

 resin sometimes in boluses,) ordered for a continuance: but 

 great care must be taken to moderate or temper the native 

 acrimony of these medicines in the beginning of a course, 

 and to prepare the body for the use of them ; the neglect of 

 which has been frequently the cause of very dismal conse- 

 quences in hot climates, and may probably have the like 

 effects sometimes in colder regions. There is a tincture 

 made with the gum of this tree, that has been sometimes 

 administered with success, as well as the powder itself, in 

 obstinate intermittent and remittent fevers ; in whicli cases 

 they commonly procure a few stools, as well as promote a 

 general discharge by the skin. The foliage of this tree is of 

 a very detersive nature, and frequently used to scour and 

 whiten the floors in most houses about Kingston : the infusion 

 of them is also used to wash painted linens, and other stained 

 garments ; which it is said to do very effectually, without 

 changing the lustre of their dyes. The wood and resin only 

 are now used in Europe. Since the introduction of mercury, 

 it is seldom prescribed in the lues venerea ; if, when occasi- 

 onally employed in syphilis, it is rather with a view to correct 

 other vitia in the habit. Dr. Cullen looks upon it as ana- 

 logous to the balsams and turpentines, and as having a con- 

 siderable power in stimulating the extreme vessels; and thus 

 accounts for its efficacy in chronic rheumatism ; and from its 

 passing off by the pores of the skin, he considers it as a 

 probable remedy in some cutaneous disorders. In the Lon- 

 don Dispensatory there is a tincture of Gum Guaiacum 

 (Pulvis Aloeticus cum Guaiaco,) and the wood is an ingre- 

 dient in Decoctum sarsaparillae compos. The Edinburgh 

 college have directed an elixir to be prepared with rectified 

 spirit, or with the vinous spirit of sal ammoniac: some object 

 to the spirituous tincture, and Dr. Cullen prefers the diffusion 

 of the gum in water. It is a native of the West Indies. In 

 Jamaica it is abundant on the south side, but is seldom found 

 in any other part of the island. This, and the second species, 

 can only be propagated by seeds procured fresh from the 

 countries where they naturally grow. As soon as they arrive 

 they should be sown in pots, filled wilh light earth, and 

 plunged into a good hot-bed, and, if the seeds be good, they 

 will appear in six weeks or two months ; in six weeks more 

 they will be strong enough for transplanting ; then they 

 should be carefully taken out of the seed pots, so as to pre- 

 serve their roots as entire as possible, and each planted in 

 separate small pots filled with light earth, and plunged into 

 a new hot-bed of tanners' bark, where they must be shaded 

 from the sun till they have taken fresh root; then they must 

 be treated in the same manner as other tender exotic plants 



