nRASSICA — SIN APIS. 95 



but more intcnso than tlioHo of wdtcr-cnss. It is oliiofly used as a stimn- 

 latin;^' coinliinciit. K/tcrimlly llio bniisetl root, or inoro frequently the 

 leaves are used as a ('ounterirritant. 



Tlie acrid principles of tlieso plants ap])ear, clinically, to be eliniiiiatetl 

 by the kidneys, and lience, incidentally, they produce a decided diuretic 

 ert'ect. The urine is not only increased in (piantity, but partakes also of 

 the acrid character of the phuit employed. In one case that canio under 

 the author's observation the individual, thouj^di in perfect health so fin- as 

 tlie {^'cnito-urinary tract was concerned, sutVered extremely from vesical 

 pain and irritation for hours after using horseradish as a condiment. 



imASSICA.— SiNAl'iH. 



-hnrarfrr of thn Oaius. — Pod linear, cylindrical or nearly' so, smooth 

 or with stilt" hairs, more or less beaked at th(! top, the beak consisting' of 

 the persistent style alone, or includinj^' a portion of the pod and a sinj^do 

 seed. Heeds f:?lobose, in a single row ; the cotyledons folded longitudi- 

 nally over the radicle. 



Annual or biennial herbs, smooth or bristly, the lower leaves generally 

 deeply })innat(; or lyrate, tlie upper sometimes entire. Flowers yellow, in 

 axillary and terminal racemes. 



No i)lants of this getuis are indigenous to North America, but several 

 foreign species have become naturalized, the most important of which a-;o 

 described below, 



Brassica alba Boissier {Siiin])i!< a/ha Linne). — ^Vhill^ Jfuslajyl. 



Pr.-'cri'ptloii. — Flowers rather large, ab()i;t one-half inch in diameter. 

 Pods three-fourths to one inch long on divergent ascending jiedicels, mor'o 

 than half the length occupied by the stout, llatteued, often curved, 1-seeded 

 beak ; the valves and lower part of the beak covered with stitl', bristly hairs, 

 rftem 1 to 2 feet liigh, smooth or with stitV hairs. Leaves pinnately lobed 

 or divi.led, the h^bes ovate or obloug, coarsely toothed, the terminal one 

 largest. 



Ilab'dat. — Introduced from Eiu'opo and sparingly naturalized in culti- 

 vated grounds. 



Brassica nigra Koch (Sinapis nigra Linne). — BlacJc Jfustard. 



Dc^cripliim. — Flowers smaller than in white n nstard. Pods about one- 

 half inch long, on short, apprcsscd pedicels, smooth, slightly conical at the 

 base, the apex tipped with the short, persistent style. Stem 2 to 3 feet 

 high, erect, freely branched. Lower leaves deeply divided, with one large 

 ovate or oblong terminal lobe and smaller lateral ones ; upi)er leaves often 

 entire. 



Habitat. — Introduced from Europe. Better established than white mus- 

 tard. 



Part Ui^ed. — The seed. Official name : Sinapis alba — white mustai'd ; 

 Siuapis nigra — black mustard. — United States Pharmacopoeia. 



