HERBA LACTUCE VIROStE. 395 



bit) have occasionally been supplied by fraudulent herb-gatherers in 

 place of dandelion. Both plants have runcinate leaves, but those of 

 hawkbit are hairy, while those of dandelion are smooth. The (fresh) 

 root of the former is tough, breaking with difficulty and rarely exuding 

 any milky juiee.^ 



The dried root of dandelion is exceedingly liable to the attacks of 

 maggots, and should not be kept beyond one season. 



HERBA LACTUCiE VIROSiE. 



Prickly Lettuce ; F. Laitue vireuse ; G. Giftlattich. 



Botanical Origin — Lctctv^ca virosa L.,^ a tall herb occurring on 

 stony ground, banks and roadsides, throughout Western, Central and 

 Southern Europe. It is abundant in the Spanish Peninsula and in 

 France, but in Britain is only thinly scattered, reaching its northern 

 limit in the south-eastern Highlands of Scotland. 



History — The introduction of this lettuce into modem medicine is 

 due to Collin (the celebrated physician of Vienna, mentioned in our 

 article on Rad. Arnicse, p. 390), who about the year 1771 recommended 

 the inspissated juice in the treatment of dropsy. In long-standing cases, 

 this extract was given to the extent of half an ounce a day. 



The College of Physicians of Edinburgh inserted Laciiica virosa L. 

 in their pharmacopoeia of 1792, while in England its place was taken by 

 the Garden Lettuce, L. sativa L. The Authors of the British Pltarma- 

 capceia of 1867 have discarded the latter, and directed that Extractv/m 

 Lactucoe shall be prepared by inspissating the juice of L. virosa. 



Description — The plant is biennial, producing in its first year 

 depressed obovate undivided leaves, and in its second a solitary upright 

 stem, 3 to 5 feet high, bearing a pinacle of small, pale yellow flowers, 

 resembling those of the Garden Lettuce. The stem, which is cylindrical 

 and a little prickly below, has scattered leaves growing horizontally ; they 

 are of a glaucous green, ovate-oblong, often somewhat lobed, auricled, 

 clasping, with the margin provided with irregular spinescent teeth, and 

 midrib white and prickly. The whole plant abounds in a bitter, milky 

 juice of strong, unpleasant, opiate smell. 



Chemical Composition — We are not aware of any modem chemical 

 examination having been made of Lactuca virosa. The more important 

 constituents of the plant are those found in LactucaHum, to the article 

 on which the reader is referred. 



Uses — The inspissated expressed juice of the fresh plant is reputed 

 narcotic and diuretic, but is probably nearly inert. 



1 Giles, Pharm. Journ. xL (1851) 107. Scariola L., but in most works on botany 



2 Bentham unites this plant with L. they are maintained aa distinct species. 



