74 THE USES OF PLANTS. 



RANUNCULACE^E. 



Hydrastis canadensis, L., Yellow Puccoon, or GOLDEN 

 SEAL, contains Berberia and Hydrastia, and is used 

 as a tonic, aperient, and diuretic in North America, 

 but not much here."* 



Helleborus niger, L., CHRISTMAS ROSE, in 1852 

 yielded Helleborin, C 36 H 42 O 6 , and, in .1864, Helleborin, 

 C 26 H 44 O 15 , two glucosides. With us its use is almost 

 obsolete.f 



Coptis Teeta, Wallich, from the Mishmi Hills, in 

 Assam, first described in 1836, the bitter root of 

 which is used as a tonic by the natives, and Coptis 

 trifolia, Salisb., the ' GOLD THREAD' of North 

 America, which also contains Berberine, and is 

 similarly used, are neither much employed here.J 



Delphinium Staphisagria, L., STAVESACRE, con- 

 tains the base Delphinine, C 24 H 35 NO 2 . It was known 

 to the ancients as Herba pedicularia, its seeds, which 

 are imported from Trieste and the South of France, 

 being used for the destruction of lice. 



Aconitum ferox, Wallich, the ' BlSH ' poison of 

 Nepal, came into notice in 1858 as a source of 

 ACONITINE, preferable to the European A. Napellus, 

 L., which is, however, undoubtedly mixed from care- 



* Prof. Bentley, ' Pharm. Journ.,' iii (1862), pp. 540-6 ; V. van 

 der Espt, #., iii (1873), P- 604 ; Bentley and Trimen, pi. i ; * Kew 

 Museum Guide,' p. 7. 



t ' Pharmacographia,' pp. 2, 3 ; Bentley and Trimen, pi. 2. 



J Bentley and Trimen, pi. 3 ; ' Pharmacographia,' p. 3 ; 

 'American Journ. of Pharmac.,' 1873, P- J 93 5 Wallich, 'Trans. 

 Med. Soc. Calcutta,' viii (1836), p. 85. 



' Pharmacographia,' pp. 5-7 ; Bentley and Trimen, pi. 4. 



