588 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Fig. 325. Sandbox Tree (Hura crepitans). 1. Flowering and 

 fruiting branch. 2. Part of a large branch. I^atex causes dermatitis. 

 (From Vesque's Traite de Botanique.) 



oil (Croton Tiglium) has not been definitely determined, but it has been refined 

 to a dark brown oil known as crotonol. The plant contains tiglinic acid C 5 H g O 2 . 

 Crotinic acid C 4 H 6 O 2 and Croton oil are derived from the Croton Tiglium, that 

 is cultivated in southern India. This plant is a drastic purgative, capable, when 

 given in excessive doses, of causing death. The resin produces vesication. 

 The seeds, according to Blyth, are very poisonous. The fixed oil has the 

 formula C 9 H 14 O 2 . 



The bark of Cascarilla (Croton Eluteria}, native to the Bahamas, is used 

 as a tonic and contains cascarillin C 6 H 9 O 2 . The milky juice of Euphorbia 

 resinifera of Morocco is used as a purgative and is so intensely acrid that people 

 in collecting it are compelled to tie a cloth over their nostrils and mouths. 

 It contains the substance euphorbon C 27 H 44 O 7 , which has a burning taste. 

 The milky juice of agallocha (Ex coe carlo, Agallocha} of tropical Asia is very 

 acrid and blisters the skin. It is said that if the juice drops into the eye as 

 sometimes happens to the woodcutter, blindness may be caused. Excoecaria 

 glandulosa contains excoecarin C 13 H 12 O 5 . The Homalanthus Leschenaultianus 

 is said to be poisonous. The fruit of Hyaena poison (Toxicodendron capense} 

 of South Africa is very poisonous, and is used to destroy beasts of prey. Gum 

 elastic or Para rubber is derived from the South American Hevea brasiliensis. 

 Other plants of the family yield caoutchouc, which contains hydrocarbons that 

 are readily soluble in chloroform. The alkaloid drumin occurs in Euphorbia 

 Drummondii. Several species of Euphorbia like Poinsettia (Euphorbia splen- 

 dens) and E. heterophylla are cultivated for ornamental purposes. From the 



