BANUNCULACE2E. 



75 



are virulent, irritant, and epispastic, and are on this account 

 employed in certain countries. Many are, it is said, energetic 

 sudorifics like B. glacialk. In former times pliysicians used to 

 consider that all the Crowfoots possessed '' eminently caustic 

 virtues." 



In many other BaMinculacece the irritating principle is weaker, or 

 else resides only in restricted parts of the plant. The Larkspurs 

 are often only simple astringents, like ]). Consolida, Jjack ; while 

 the seeds of the Stavesacre^ are sufficiently acrid to be used in 

 powder as a drastic vermifuge, and especially as an insecticide. The 

 seeds of the Niaelics have only a pungent taste, like pepper, for 

 which those of TV. sativcr were formerly substituted (in France) 

 under the name of " Poivrette' or " Toute-Epke' [i.e., Allspice]. The 

 ancients emplo3^ed various Nigellce as emmenagogues, and as remedies 

 for catarrhs. 



The species of Clematis have also been long known to possess the 

 power of ulcerating the skin when apj^lied to it. C. Flammida, 

 recta, and especially C. Vitatba, the common Traveller's Joy (Fr., 

 Ilerhe-auoc-Gueux — Beggars' Herb),^ were said to be used by beggars 

 to produce more or less intense vesications on the body. They are 

 in fact epispastics, purgatives, and hydragogues. They were 

 formerly considered remedies against itch, leprosy, scrofula, and even 

 syphilis. The feathery elongated styles of certain species have been 

 used to prepare a particular kind of paper. 



Different species of the genus Actaa,^ as we have limited it, have 

 also been employed in medicine, especially in N. America. A. 

 bracliypetala, racemosa, and Cimicifuga are considered both astringent 

 and irritant ; they no doubt possess nearly the same properties as our 

 A. spicata {Baneberrg), which has been prescribed for its astringent, 

 antispasmodic, evacuant, insecticidal and virulent qualities, probably 



' Pereiea, I. ciL, G82.— GuiB., I. clL, 698. 



- GuiBOUKT, I. cit., 094. 



^ The " Vilmrmim, Black Vine or Black 

 Bryony" (Viornes, Vignes noires, Couleuvrees 

 noire.s) of the older botanists (Guib., I. oil., 686). 

 The " Arabian Liana" of the Isle of Bourbon 

 (C. maritima Lamk.), according to M. Vinson 

 [Thh. Fc. Pharm., 1855), possesses energetic 

 vesicating properties, and may be advantageously 

 substituted for cantharides. C. diaeca L., ac- 

 cording to Maci'ayden {Fl. Jam. i. 2), is em- 

 ployed in Jamaica as an energetic hydiagoguc 

 purgative ; a decoction of the roots in sea water 



is used. C. erecta, Vitalha, Viorna, formerly 

 nuu'h used in chronic diseases of the skin, only 

 cured them by setting up a counter-intlamniation 

 of its own, which was often too violent and pro- 

 duced ulceration. Tlialictrnm has nearly the 

 irritant properties of Clematis, but in a less 

 degree. Accordingly the various species are 

 sometimes used as purgatives in the country. 

 T. Jldviim in particulai-, known in Kngland as 

 " Meadow Rue" in several ])rovinces goes by 

 the name of" Ithuharhe dcs pativrcs" (Aug., Boor 

 Man's Itlmbarh). 



•• Did. Enc. Sc. Med., i. 6G5. 



