224 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



The other Crucifers which possess in a less degree a pungent taste, 

 with stimulant, acrid, astringent properties, are the Wild Eocket J 

 (Roqitette Sauvage),the cultivated Rocket 2 (Roquette Cultivee), ThZaspi 

 officinalis, 3 Rape 4 {Ravette), Garlic Mustard or Sauce-alone 

 {Alliaria? figs. 214, 215), several species of Iberia? Teeadalia? Arabia? 

 Sisymbrium? Alyssum? CapseZZa? 1 Draba?' 2 Cahile? 3 Coronopus?* &c, all 

 natives or introduced and cultivated in this country. In Asia 

 Sinapis chinensis 15 and Arabia chinensis? 6 serve the same purposes, 

 and are recommended by the Hindoo doctors as stomachic 

 stimulants. Their action may be intense enough to determine abor- 

 tion. Saviynya ceyyptica 11 has the same properties as the Cresses ; 



1 Brassica temiifolia. — B. muralis Huds. — 

 Sisymbrium tenuifolium- L. — Diplotaxis tenui- 



folia DC, Prodi:, i. 222, n. 8. — Gttib., loc. cit., 

 686.— Rosenth., op. cit., 644. — Eruca muralis 

 G.EBTN., Mey. & Scherb., FL Wett. — Sinapis 

 tenuifolia R. Be. Moqttin (Bot. Med., 186) lias 

 prepared from it an antiscorbutic syrup. It is 

 often called Sisymbre brulant. 



2 Eruca sativa Lamk., FL Fr., ii. 496. — 

 Gtjib., loc. cit., 683. — E. Buchetfa Spach, Suit. 

 a Buffon, vi. 355. Its leaves are pungent and 

 aperient ; its seeds more acid than even those of 

 the Black Mustard. The ancients regarded all 

 these plants as diuretic, antiscorbutic, and aphro- 

 disiac (Rosenth., op. cit., 644). 



3 Which is, according to Guibotjrt (loc. cit., 

 681); Lepidium campestre R. Bb. Its seeds 

 enter into the composition of theriaca. 



4 A cultivated race, according to Spach 

 (Suit, a Buffon, vi. 371), of Brassica Eapa 

 Koch (Napus Rapa Spenn.). Its seeds are 

 harvested, and yield colza oil. There are two 

 kinds, a winter and a summer Rape. 



5 Sisymbrium Alliaria Scop., FL Cam., 515.— 

 Erysimum Alliaria L. — Hesperis Alliaria Lamk. 

 — Alliaria officinalis Andrzj., ex Bieb., FL 

 Taur., Suppl., 445.— DC, Prodr., i. 196, n. 1. — 

 H. Bn., in Diet. Encycl. des Sc. Med., iii. 541. 



6 Especially I. umbellata L. (Rosenth., op. 

 cit., 635), whose seeds are the semina Thlaspeos 

 Cretici of old pharmacopoeias. 



7 Especially T. nudicaulis R. Br., in Ait. 

 Fort. Kern., ed. 2, iv. 83; — T. Iberis DC, 

 Prodr., i. 178, n. 1 ; — Iberis nudicaulis L., 

 Spec., 903). 



8 A. arenosa Scop., ciliata Koch, perfoliata 

 Lamk., sagittata DC and Thaliana L. (See 

 H. Bn., in Bid. Encycl. des Sc. Med., v. 756.) 



9 Especially Flixweed, the Sophia or Wisdom 

 (Fr., Sagesse) of surgeons (S. Sophia L.), and S. 

 polyceratium L., and Columnce L. (see Rosenth., 

 op. cit., 637). S. toxophyllum C A. Met., of 

 South Russia, is said to poison horses. 



10 Notably A. montanum L. (see H. Bn., in 

 Diet. Encycl. des Sc. Med., iii. 467), and A. 

 maritimum Lamk. (Kceniga maritima R. Br.), 

 which is the Nasturtium or Thlaspi maritimum 

 of old pharmacopoeias. 



11 The species most commonly used is the 

 Shepherd's Purse (Capsella Bursa-pastons L.), a 

 popular remedy in country places in France. (See 

 H. Bn., in Diet. Encycl. des Sc. Med., xii.) 



12 D. (Erophila) verna L. serves the same 

 purpose as Capsella; whence its name, Herba 

 Bursa pastor/ s minima. 



13 C. maritima Scop. (FL Cam., n. 844; — 

 DC, Prodr., i. 185, n. 1 ; — Spach, Suit, a 

 Buffon, vi. 332; — C. Serapionis G^rtn., Fruct., 

 t. 141, ii. tig. 2; — C. agyptiaca W., Spec, iii. 

 417; — Tuss., FL Ant., 1, t. 17; — C. aqualis 

 Lh£r. ; — C. americana Ntjtt. ; — C. cubensis K.) 

 has its young shoots eaten in salad, or pickled. 

 The leaf-buds are antiscorbutic, and the whole 

 plant is used on the sea coast as an aperient, 

 diuretic, &c. 



14 C. Enellii Dalech. (Senebiera Coronopus 

 DC; — Cochlearia Coronopus L.) was used as an 

 antiscorbutic under the name of Herba Nasturtii 

 verrucusi s. Coronopi repentis. (See Rosenth., 

 op. cit., 646.) 



15 L., Mantiss., 95. In Asia, £. cernui Thttnb., 

 dichotoma Roxb., glauca Roxb., ramosa Roxb., 

 rugosa Roxb., have the same reputation. S. 

 pekinensis LoriR. is eaten as an aperient. S. 

 juncea L. (S. nigra Forsk.), is, according to T. 



von Maktius, the Mustard of Sarepta. (See 

 Rosenth., op. cit., 644. — Lindl., Veg. Kingd., 

 92.) 



16 The Aliverie of the Indians; according to 

 Ainslie (Mat. Med. Ind., ii. 12), a stimulant, 

 and even abortive. It is also applied to inflamed 

 surfaces. (See H. Bn., in Diet. Encycl. des Sc. 

 Med., v. 756, n. 2.) 



17 DC, Syst., ii. 244; Prodr., i. 157. — Rosenth., 

 op. cit., 644 : the same as Lunaria parvijtora 

 Del., used by the Arabs. 



