147 



597. ALOE VULOARIS, continued. 



e. Portion of an opened gourd. 



/. Foetid, or horse aloes. (Aloes Cabattin of Guibourt.) 

 Note. There are two varieties of Barbados aloes met with in commerce, 

 one presenting a brown and the other a blaok fracture ; the former is the 

 best. Barbados aloes may be at once distinguished by its disagreeable 

 odour. Specimen / was presented by Prof. Guibourt. It is alluded to in 

 Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii., pt. i., p. 192, No. 5. 



598. ASPARAGUS OFFICINALIS, L. 



a. Rhizome and young shoots, preserved wet. 

 Note. The young shoots are sometimes called turiones. The juice of the 

 asparagus plant possesses diuretic properties. Bentley, Man. Bot., p. 663. 

 The plant is said to contain asparagine and mannite. See Per. Mat. Med., 

 vol. ii, pt. i., p. 211. The true leaves of this plant are minute scales. 



599. DRAC.ENA DRACO, L. 



a. Portion of stem, with leaves. 



b. Resin. Dragon's blood in the tear. 



Note. The specimens a and 6 were presented by Senor G. J. de 

 Nobrega, of Funchal, Madeira. 



c. Socotra dragon's blood. Presented by Dr. Vaughan. 

 Note. Specimen c is probably produced by Dracaena Draco. See 



Wellstead's Travel* in Arabia, vol. ii., p. 449; and P. J. [1], vol. xii., 

 p. 885. 



d. Dragon's blood in the tear. Presented" by Messrs. 



Allen & Co. 



GOO. POLYGONATUM OFFICINALE, All. 



a. Rhizome. (Solomon's Seal.) 



Note. The plant is indigenous, occurring in woods. The rhizome, grated 

 or scraped into a pulp, is used in the provinces as an application to 

 bruises, to remove the discoloration. Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii., pt. i., p. 212. 



The last two plants, together with Ruscus aculeatus and a few others, 

 have, by some botanists, been placed in a separate family, called Aspara- 

 gacese, characterized by having a succulent fruit, and a root which is not 

 bulbous. See Babington, Man. Bot., p. 350. 



601. URGINEA SCILLA, Steinheil. 



a. Bulb. See Bentley and Trimen, Med. Plants, No. 281. 



b. Ditto, sliced. 



c. Ditto, preserved wet. 



d. Ditto. Fine specimen. 



Note. The bitter principle of squill is precipitated by tannin. Phar- 

 macographia, p. 628. According to Quekett, powdered squill contains 

 10 per cent, of raphides. Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii., pt. i., p. 204. 



002. XANTHORRHCEA ARBOREA, B. Bir. (Grasr Tree.) 



a. Portions of the bases of leaves with the resin in situ. 



b. The balsamic resin in masses, after fusion by fire. 



c. Balsamic resin in tears, fused in sand by the sun's action. 



