23G YEAR-BOOK OF FACTS. 



are not one or more persons suffering from cutaneous disease in con- 

 sequence of coming in contact with the plant. The remedies in use 

 for the effects of the poison oak are various, and some of them will 

 cure the milder cases. Of all the common remedies, the warm solu- 

 tion of the sugar of lead has, within my experience, been productive of 

 the best results. The water of ammonia, warm vinegar and water, 

 the warm decoction of the leaves of Khamnns oleifdivB ("Verba del 

 oso" of the Californian Spanish), or even pure warm water, are 

 sufficient sometimes to produce a cure. All these remedies are, of 

 course, applied externally by way of washes to the parts affected. 



But the only remedy found invariably successful as an antidote for 

 this poison is an indigenous plant growing very abundantly in this 

 vicinity (Monterey), and in other parts of the State. It is a tall, 

 stout perennial, belongs to the composite family, and looks like a 

 small sunflower. 



ORDEAL BEAN OF CALARAR. 



Professor Balfour, in a communication to the Eoyal Society of 

 Edinburgh, on "the Various Plants used in Africa as Ordeal 

 Poisons," has given an account of the introduction of the Calabar 

 Ordeal Bean into Scotland, by the-ltev. W.WaddelL, and mentioned its 

 peculiar poisonous qualities, as determined by Dr. Christison. To 

 Dr. llewan, and the Itev. Zerub Baillie, who are connected with the 

 United Presbyterian Mission in Old Calabar, he was indebted for 

 some observations on actual cases of poisoning in Africa. The Rev. 

 W. C. Thomson, another missionary, was the first who procured 

 flowering specimens of the plant. Some of these had been given to 

 the author by Mr. Baillie, and from them, along with the legume 

 and seeds, the characters of the plant had been drawn up. The 

 plant belongs to the natural order Leguminosee, sub-order Papilio- 

 naci > . and tribe PhaseolesB, and appears to be a new genus to which 

 the name of Physottigma {4>v<j&tiv, to inflate) has been given, from 

 the peculiar inflated appearance of the stigma. To the species the 

 name of venenosum has been giveu, in Illusion to its poisonous 

 qualities The genu is marly allied to Phaseolus, from which it 

 differs in the Btigma, and in t ho Ion.', grooved hilum of the seed, 

 in the last character it approaches Mucuna. 



mi:mmv wheat. 

 Rev. Pro fe s s or Henslow has made t'> the British Associa- 

 I ome remarks on the growth of Wheat obtained from Mommies. 



Be introduced his observations by reading a letter from Pr 

 Warttnann, of Geneva, who had recently found that sods might bo 



el to ,-i t em perature of i of Pahrenl 



without losing the power of germination. Professor Henslow had 

 himself exposed Beeds to the temperature of boiling water, and they 



nated. The question <>i how long seeds would retain their 

 vitality was one of great interest ; and a committee of this Associa- 

 tion had reported on the subject, but they bad not suooeeded in 



making seeds grow which had been kept more than two centuries. 



