ROSACEA. 



441 



The Rosacea are often odoriferous. In the Prunea this odour is 

 usually that of prussic acid or essence of bitter almonds.' These 

 substances, of so hii^h a practical utility, are found in very many 

 species of our genus Prumis." The leaves and seeds of most 

 Cherries and Cherry Laurels produce them, especially the common 

 Cherry Laurel of our gardens/ Prumis virginiana'' owes similar 

 though less marked therapeutical properties to the presence of the 

 same principles. This too is the case with P. CcqmUin of Mexico 

 and P. mididata' of Nepaul, which may cause grave accidents ; 

 the leaves poison any cattle which may browse on them. The 

 smell of prussic acid is found in the leaves of Nidtallia cerasiformis^ 

 and in the seeds of most of our Peaches, Apricots, Plums, and 

 Cherries ; this accounts for the peculiar perfume of the well known 

 liquors into the preparation of which some of these plants 

 enter.^ This will also explain how it is that tea is often adulte- 

 rated with the leaves of the sloe {Primus spinosus) and wild Cherry 

 {P. avimn); how too the Bird Cherry [P. Padus; Fr., Putiet) may 

 possess the same medicinal virtues as the Cherry Laurel, though in 

 a less degree f and how Peach-blossom, administered as a gentle 



ill Quillai-bark, united with chloropbyll, fatty 

 matter, and sugar; it froths a great deal in 

 water, and presents the general properties of 

 saponine and salseparine (see GiiiB., Drog. 

 SimpL, ed. 4, iii. 285 ; — Lindl., Veg. Kingd., 

 5G4i; — RosENTH., op. cit., 970). 



^ These almonds are the seed of a variety a 

 {Amara DC, Fl. Fr., iv. 486 ;— Dpham., Arhr., 

 ed. 2, 114) of Prunus Amygdalus [Amygdalus 

 communis L.), a variety which, apart from the 

 peculiar taste of the seed, is distinguished by a 

 style of nearly the same length as the stamens, 

 and tomentose below. The seeds contain synap- 

 tase (Robiqtiet) or emulsine (Lieiug), and 

 amygdaline (C^oH-^O^^n or C-^H-'MTO")- It is 

 the latter which in several economic or pharma- 

 ceutical operations is converted in presence of 

 water [and the former substance] into a certain 

 quantity of glucose (C'2H^2oi2 or c^H'-o"), cyan- 

 hydric acid (C-HN or CHM"), and oil of bitter 

 almonds (C'''H'"'0- or C''h'''0). 



2 See pp. 403-410. 



' Laurier-Amande, Laurier Cerise.— Prunus 

 Laurocerasus L., Spec, 678. — Cerasus Lauro- 

 cerasus Loisel., in Duham., Arhr., ed. 2, 

 V. 6.— DC, Prodr., ii. 540, n. 36. — GuiB., 

 op. cit., iii. 293, fig. 329.— A. Rich., Flem. 

 d'Hist. Nat. Med., ed. 4, ii. 257. — Pekeira, 

 Elem. Mai. Med., ii. p. ii. loc. cit. — Lindl., 

 Fl. Med., 232. — Rosentii., Syn. PI. Diaphor., 

 978,— Mo(i., Bot. Med., 188, fig. 59 (see p. 409, 



fig. 483). This species, a native of Trebizond, 

 introduced into Europe in 1576, is abundantly 

 cultivated in this country [in England as well 

 as in Prance]. Its leaves serve to give an aro- 

 matic flavour to milk and other liquids. The only 

 preparation used in medicine is the distilled 

 water (Laurel-water), impregnated with volatile 

 oil and cyanliydricacid. The plant is dangerous, 

 and should only be used cautiously. 



■* P. rubra Ait. — Cerasus virginiana Micnx. 

 (see p. 439, note 3). Its leaves and green bark 

 are sedativi', but poisonous in an overdose. 



5 Ham., ex Dox., Prodr. Fl. Nepal., 239.— 

 P. capricida Wall. — Cerasus undulata See., ex 

 DC, Prodr., ii. 540, n, 31. — Endl., Enchir.,6&^. 



" See p. 413, note 6. 



^ Especially Kirschicasser, prepared in 

 Switzerland, the Vosges, Jura, &e., from the 

 rtowLrs of the Wild Cherry {Prunus avium L., 

 Spec, 679 ; — P. nigra Mill., Did., n. 2 (nee 

 AlT.); — Cerasus avium MoiNCii., Melh., 672; — - 

 Fr. Merisier), and preferably of the large fruited 

 variety called macrocarpa (Sek., in DC, Prodr., 

 ii. 535, n. 2, i3;— DuiiAM., ^ri. i^A, i. ISO) ; 

 Cherry, Plum, and Damson wine, and finally, 

 noyau, which is flavoured with the seeds of 

 several species of Armeniaca and Prunus, 

 especially P. sphtprocarpa Sweet, and orciden- 

 talis Sweet (Lindl., ri-g. Kiiigd., loc. cit.; — 

 KosENTii., op. cit., 979). 



'^ The fruits are bitter and nauseous. Tlie 



