76 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



resembliiif^ tlie Hellebores in every respect, with whose rhizomes 

 those of the Baneberry have often been mixed.' 



The various species of Adotiir have also been substituted for the 

 Hellebores, according to Clusius. They seem to have the same 

 general properties as the Crowfoots. Pallas relates that the root- 

 stocks of the perennial species act as emmenagogues ; and the Cape 

 Knouoltonim are irritating enough to give one of the species the name 

 of K. vesicatoriay and it is in fact used in that country as a vesicant.* 



The Anemones of this country are acrid,^ containing a neutral, 

 very virulent principle called a/icmoHuie, discovered by Heyeu and 

 Brunswick. They irritate and vesicate the skin, are employed as 

 antipsorics in veterinary medicine, and are said to kill certain 

 animals if they feed on them. Pi/Imtilla is much used by the 

 homa'opathists, who allege that it is an excellent antidote to 

 mercury, and that taken as snuff it is sovereign against cepha- 

 lalgia and neuralgia, and also against colic, constipation, and 

 diarrhoea, certain forms of haemorrhage, rheumatism, convulsions, 

 &c. AUopathists' know that it is irritant and vesicant, like most 

 of the Raiumculocecs. They ascribe to its revulsive action the 

 remedial powers which country folks assert to be produced in certain 

 fevers, if the leaves are applied continuously to the wrists. It 

 sometimes induces healthy action in herpetic surfaces, but it may 

 also ulcerate ; it has been vaunted as efficacious against gout, itch, 

 syphilis, amaurosis, hooping-cough, amenorrhoea, and calculus. 

 OiiFiLA showed that it should be ranked among the most dangerous 

 irritant poisons. It is used to prepare a distilled water sometimes 

 employed as a cosmetic. There is no virtue that has not been 

 attributed to llcpatica ; its very name shows that it was thought to 

 cure liver complaints ; it was also thought efficacious against affec- 

 tions of the lungs, skin, and bladder, in hernias and wounds ; now- 

 a-days it has fallen into disuse. 



Several of the Raiinncnlaccoi are bitter, and are hence esteemed as 



» MrnuAY, Ap-p. Med., iii. 48. — Bentlet, - Diet. Fnc. Sc. Med ., ii. 40. 



Phnnti. Juiirn., iii. lO'J. [A. raremoxa nnd Cimi- * Hauv. & SOND., /"/. Cap., i. 4. 



cj/i///rt Imve bftii UHitl witli f^riat BiicceHS in Kng- * I'livnicians formerly confouiKloil most of 



liiiid in iiint'iiorrliaNi, (lysiiienorihtDii, nicnor- tlifni witii tho C'lowftxits, iukKt tlio common 



rli:ij;ia, and to rei)lacc iT^ot ; it liiis also bci-n name of Ccc/M^rp/.v, attributing nearly tiiu aamo 



found UHfful in variouH forms of rheumatic gout, jiroperties to tlicm. 



rlieumatiHU), lumbago, &t!. See Uinoku, llandb. * Stouck, LUwUm df m.vk nudico PultHilillu' 



of J'ract. Tlicrup. pp. 28G-U. Tuamj.] nijric, 177L— CJl'iuoi'UT, up. vU., (>8«. 



