134 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



yellow, is still used in the country for destroying warts, and has 

 been thought of service in obliterating spots upon the cornea ; its 

 acridity is very marked. Its reputed efficacy in jaundice is probably 

 only due to its colour. That of the Horn-Poppy 1 (fig. 137) is less acrid ; 

 it smells like that of the Poppies. It is said to be sometimes used to 

 adulterate opium ; it is still applied to ulcers in horned cattle in the 

 country. Boccouia 2 has also an irritant caustic volatile yellow juice 

 of strono- odour ; it is used in the Antilles like a decoction of the root, 

 as a vermifuge and purgative. The yellow juice of the Mexican 

 Argemone is applied to warts, chancres, and ulcerations of the con- 

 junctiva in the United States ; and decoctions and infusions of its 

 stem and root are prescribed as counter irritants in certain inflam- 

 matory affections of the skin and bladder. The Puccoon or Blood- 

 root 3 (figs. 128, 129) is gorged with a reddish juice, of burning acrid 

 taste, staining the saliva. Its rhizomes possess very irritant pro- 

 perties. 4 Several species of Meconopsis, especially 31. nepalensis,* have 

 also a poisonous latex. The oil obtained from the seeds (chiefly from 

 the albumen) of the Papaveracece is often very acrid. Thus the 

 seeds of Argemona mexicana are purgative, and said to be as active as 

 those of Crotum Tiglium. In India they are also used as an emetic. 

 The acridity disappears entirely in the oil of Glaitcium flavwmf and 

 it has been proposed 7 to grow the plant for this. Many of the Poppies 

 might no doubt be used to supply an oil like that obtained in Europe 

 from the seeds of Papaver somniferum var. nigrum* (figs. 114-116), 



above, p. 116, note 3, figs. 134-136). It contains small doses are said to be tonic and stimulant. 



chelidonine, chelerythrine, and chelidonic acid The juice is escharotic, and has been applied to 



(Lieb., Chim. Org., ii. 603; iii. 503). tumours and polypi. It is prescribed externally 



1 Glaitcium Jiavum Cr., Fl. Austr., ii. 141. — in cases of pneumonia, croup, hydrot borax, 

 DC, Prodr., i. 122, n. 1.— Guib., op. cit., 697.— typhoid fever, &c. (Bigel., Med, Bot., i. t. 7. — 

 Chelidonium Glaitcium L., Spec, 72 1. Bextl., in Pharm. Journ., iv. 263). 



2 Especially Boccouia frutesoens L. {Spec, 5 DC., Prodr., i. 121, n. 4. — Rosenth., op. 

 634;— Lame., III., t. 394;— DC, Prodr.,\. 121, cit., 625. — Papaver paniculafvm Dox. M. 

 n. 1 ; — H. Bn., in Diet. Fncycl. des Sc Med., Wallichii Hooe., from the Himalayas, has the 

 x. 8; — see above, p. 115, note 3.) game properties. 



3 Sanguinaria canadensis L., Spec, 723 (see 6 See p. 117, note 1. 



above, p. 112, 114, note 2, figs. 128, 129).— Guib., ? Cloez, in Ann. Chim, et Phys., ser. 3, lix. 



op. cit., 695.— Lindl., Fl. Med., 16. — Pebeiea, 129. 



Ico. cit., 666.— Rosenth., op. cit,, 623. 8 DC, Prodr., i. 120, n. 21, a.— P. nigrum 



4 They contain the alkaloid sanguinariue, Lob., loc cit. — Gtjib., op. cit., 702. — P. nigrum, 

 perhaps identical with chelerythrine (Likb., sativum Dod., Pempt., 445.— P. hortense nigra 

 Chun. Org., iii. 503). The root acts as a power- semine, sylvestre Bioscoridis, nigrum Plinio C. 

 ful emetic and very energetic acro-narcotic; Bauh., Pin., 170. 



