MATERIA MEDICA. 101 



crystallizable isomer of starch, characteristic of the 

 Compositae."* 



Anacyclus Pyrethrum, DC., PELLITORY, a native 

 of Algeria, which is perennial, and A. officinarum, 

 Hayne, GERMAN PELLITORY, an annual, cultivated 

 in Germany, have roots which are employed as a 

 rubefacient and as a gargle.f 



AntJiemis nobilis, L., CHAMOMILE, a perennial 

 British plant, is cultivated at Mitcham, the inflores- 

 cence of the cultivated form having nearly all its 

 florets white ' ray ' flowers, i.e., being * double.' The 

 inflorescence is infused as a bitter stomachic and 

 tonic tea, or the whole plant is distilled for a car- 

 minative oil.J 



Artemisia pauciflora, Weber, SANTONICA, a native 

 of the Kirghiz steppes, yields the valuable anthel- 

 mintic known as WORMSEED, which consists of the 

 unopened flower-heads or capitula, and contains a 

 crystalline body known as Santonin, C 15 H 18 O 3 , dis- 

 covered in i83O. The wood of other species of this 

 genus was formerly used for the same purpose, whence 

 the name WORMWOOD, and in fever before the intro- 

 duction of Cinchona. The common British MUGWORT 

 (A. vulgaris, L.) is a rustic remedy for rheumatism. 



Arnica montana, L., a native of Central Europe, 

 yields a tincture used externally for bruises, sprains, 

 etc. || 



Taraxacum officinale, Wiggers, the DANDELION, 

 a widely distributed weed, yields a milky latex, 



* Bentley and Trimen, iii., pi. 150. f Ibid., pi. 151, 152. 

 % Ibid., pi. 154. Ibid., pi. 157. || Ibid., pi. 158. 



