B0SACE2E. 441 



The Rosacea are often odoriferous. In the Prunes this odour is 

 usually that of prussic acid or essence of bitter almonds.' These 

 substances, of so high a practical utility, are found in very many 

 species of our genus Pruniis.' The leaves and seeds of most 

 Cherries and Cherry Laurels produce them, especially the common 

 Cherry Laurel of our gardens.* Prunus virginiana'' owes similar 

 though less marked therapeutical properties to the presence of the 

 same principles. This too is the case with P. CapoUin of Mexico 

 and P. undulata^ of Nepaul, which may cause grave accidents ; 

 the leaves poison any cattle which may browse on them. The 

 smell of prussic acid is found in the leaves of Nuttallia cerasiformis,^ 

 and in the seeds of most of our Peaches, Apricots, Plums, and 

 Cherries ; this accounts for the peculiar perfume of the well known 

 liquors into the preparation of which some of these plants 

 enter.^ This will also explain how it is that tea is often adulte- 

 rated with the leaves of the sloe {Primus spinosus) and wild Cherry 

 (P. avium); how too the Bird Cherry {P. Padus; Fr., Putiet) may 

 possess the same medicinal virtues as the Cherry Laurel, though in 

 a less degree f and how Peach-blossom, administered as a gentle 



in Quillai-bark, united with chlorophyll, fatty fig. 483). This species, a native of Trebizond, 



matter, and sugar ; it froths a great deal in introduced into Europe in 1576, is abundantly 



water, and presents the general properties of cultivated in this country [in England as well 



saponine and salseparine (see Gtjib., Drog. as in France]. Its leaves serve to give an aro- 



Simpl., ed. 4, iii. 285 ; — LiNDi., Veg. Kingd., matic flavour to milk and other liquids. The only 



564; — RosENTH., op. cit., 970). preparation used in medicine is the distilled 



^ These almonds are the seed of a variety a water (Laurel-water), impregnated with volatile 



{Amara DC, Fl. Fr., iv. 486 ; — Dctham., Arbr., oil and cyanhydric acid. The plant is dangerous, 



ed. 2, 114) of Prunus Amygdalus [Amygdalus and should only be used cautiously. 



communis L.), a variety which, apart from the * P. ruhra Ait. — Cerasus virginiana MiCHX. 



peculiar taste of the seed, is distinguished by a (see p. 439, note 3). Its leaves and green bark 



style of nearly the same length as the stamens, are sedative, but poisonous in an overdose, 



and tomentose below. The seeds contain synap- ^ Ham., ex Don., Prodr. Fl. Nepal., 239. — 



tase (Robiquet) or emulsine (Liebig), and P.capricida WjlIjJj. — Cerastts undulata S^n., ex 



amygdaline (C^«H-''022N or C-^H^^UO"). It is DC, Prodr., ii. 540, n. 31.— Endl., Fnchir.,66d. 



the latter which in several economic or pharma- ® See p. 413, note 6. 



ceutical operations is converted in presence of ^ Especially Kirschwasser, prepared in 



water [and the former substance] into a certain Switzerland, the Vosges, Jura, &c., from the 



quantity of glucose (C'-H'^O'- or C^H'-O^), cyan- flowers of the Wild Cherry {Prunus avium L., 



hydric acid (C-HN or CHN"), and oil of bitter Spec, 679; — P. nigra Mill., Diet., n. 2 (nee 



almonds (C'^H^O- or c'h"©). Ait.); — Cerasus avium Mcench., Meth., 672 ; — 



2 See pp. 403-410. Fr. Merisier), and preferably of the large fruited 



* Laurier-Amande, Laurier Cerise. — Prunus variety called maerocarpa (See., in DC, Prodr., 



Laurucerasus L., Spec, 678. — Cerasus Lauro- ii. 535, n. 2, /3 ; — Duham., Arh. Fr., i. 180) ; 



cerasus LoiSEL., in DuHAM., Arbr., ed. 2, Cherry, Plum, and Damson wine, and finally, 



v. 6. — DC, Prodr., ii. 540, n. 36. — GuiB,, noyau, which is flavoured with the seeds of 



op. cit., iii. 293, tig. 329. — A. Rich., Elem. several species of Armeniaca and Prunus, 



d'Hist. Nat. Med., ed. 4, ii. 257. — Pekeiea, especially P. spharocarpa Sweet, and occiden- 



Elem. Mat. Med., ii. p. ii. ^oc. cit. — LiNDL., talis Sweet (Lindl., Veg. Kingd., loc. cit.; — 



Fl. Med., 232.— RosENTH., Syn. PI. Biaplior., Rosentu., op. cit., 979). 



978.— MoQ., Bot. Med., 188, fig. 59 (see p. 409, "^ The fruits are bitter and nauseous. The 



