225 DAPHNE MEZEREUM 



Squire, mezereon bark also contains an acrid volatile oil. He 

 says, " the pungent odour given off by boiling mezereon root in 

 water over a lamp is so powerful, that, after holding my head over 

 it for a short time, great irritation was produced, and it was 

 difficult to carry on respiration." A neutral non- volatile gluco- 

 side, which appears to be destitute of active properties, is another 

 constituent of the bark; it has been termed daphnin. 



Medical Properties and Uses. Locally applied in a moistened 

 state to the skin, mezereon bark will produce redness and even 

 vesication, but its action is slow, generally requiring from twenty- 

 four to forty -eight hours to raise a blister. It is, however, some- 

 times used in France as a vesicatory, as follows : The bark is first 

 softened by soaking it in hot vinegar and water, and then applied 

 to the part by a compress and bandage ; and the application 

 renewed night and morning until vesication is produced. An 

 ointment of the bark is likewise used to keep issues or blisters 

 open. It is this rubefacient and vesicant property which has led 

 to the introduction of an ethereal extract of the bark as an 

 ingredient in the official compound liniment of mustard. As an 

 internal remedy, it is stimulant, diaphoretic, and diuretic ; in large 

 doses it acts as an irritant, causing vomiting and purging. It 

 has been given in chronic rheumatism, and in syphilitic, scrofulous, 

 and cutaneous affections, but with doubtful results. It is but 

 rarely given in this country except as an ingredient in the com- 

 pound decoction of sarsaparilla. 



Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii, pt. 1, p. 477; Per. Mat. Med., by B. & R., 

 p. 566; Pharmacographia, p. 486; U. S. Disp., by W. & B., 

 p. 560; Squire, in Pharm. Journ., vol. i, 1st ser., p. 395: 

 Zwenger, in Annal. der Chem. und Pharm., vol. cxv, p. 1. 



DESCRIPTION OP PLATE. 



The flowering branch drawn from a specimen collected at High Wycombe, 

 Bucks, by Mr. Hiern, flowering in March ; the leaves and fruit from a plant 

 in Chelsea Gardens. 1. A branch with flowers and leaf-buds. 2. A branch 

 with fruit and developed leaves. 3. Vertical section of a flower. 4. Vertical 

 section of ovary. 5. Fruit with half th3 pulp removed. 6. The same with 

 the whole of the pulp removed. 7. A seed. 8. Vertical, and 9. Transverse 

 section of the same. (3-9 enlarged.) 



