6 ACONITUM NAPELLUS 



fully poisonous properties ; but of its great efficacy when used 

 externally in the form of the official ointment, in neuralgic and 

 rheumatic affections, no one who has submitted it to trial can 

 entertain a doubt. Dr. John Harley prefers the alkaloid in 

 all cases, whether for internal or external use, or for subcutaneous 

 injection ; thus he says, " So long as the pure alkaloid can be 

 obtained, the other preparations of aconite are not only superfluous 

 but mischievous, for it is impossible to prepare them from year to 

 year of uniform strength." 



Per. Mat. Med., vol. ii, pt. 2, p. 687 ; Per. Mat. Med., by B. & R., 

 p. 998 ; Pharmacographia, pp. 9-12 ; U. S. Disp., by W. & B., 

 pp. 72 & 985 ; G-arr., Mat. Med., p. 181 ; Boyle's Mat. Med., by 

 J. Harley, p. 773 ; Gmelin's Chemistry, vol. ii (1857), p. 402 ; 

 Bentley, in Pharm. Journ., vol. xv, 1st ser., p. 449 ; Wittstein's 

 Vierteljahresschrift, vol. xviii (1869), p. 82 ; Groves, in Pharm. 

 Journ., vol. viii, 2nd ser., pp. 118 and 121, and Oct. 11, 1873, 

 pp. 293-296; Groves, in Year Book of Pharmacy for 1874, 

 p. 507 ; Wright, in Tear Book of Pharmacy for 1875, p. 514 ; 

 T. & H. Smith, in Pharm. Journ., vol. v, 2nd ser., p. 317; 

 Fliickiger, in Pharm. Journ., vol. ii, 3rd ser., p. 121 ; Garrod, 

 in Med. Times and Gaz., Feb., 1864, p. 146 ; Hottot, in Journ. 

 de Pharm., April, 1864. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE. 



Drawn from a plant in the Royal Gardens, Kew. 



1. The summit of the flowering stem. 



2. The base of the stein, showing the rootstock and young tubers. 



3. The sepals separated. 



4. Section to show the upper petals. 



5. Section of flower, the sepals removed. 



6. A stamen. 



7. Stigma. 



8. Transverse section of the ovary. 



9. The fruit, 



10. Seeds. 



11. A seed. 



12. Yertical section of the same. 



(5-8, 11, 12, enlarged), 



