AMENTIFER®. 223 
substitute for other more powerful tonics, and was discovered in 1828 by Buchner. 
When pure, salicin forms minute rectangular scales, very bitter, and somewhat 
aromatic ; soluble in water and in rectified spirits, but not so in ether. As afebrifuge, 
it may be used by infusing an ounce of the dried bark in a pint of water, and adminis- 
tering the fusion in the dose of one or two ounces frequently. Salicin has been 
largely used by French physicians in fever and ague, but it has not a place in our 
British Pharmacop@ia. According to various reports, collected by Buchner, twelve 
grains in divided doses will generally arrest ague. As a tonic stomachic in dyspepsia, 
» it is ona par with quinine, and is not, like quinine, apt to cause congestion in the head, 
when given in large doses. A curious instance of the presence of salicin is seen in a 
little fish something like the minnow, which is caught in some of the smaller rivers 
in Germany, and being packed in baskets made of willow twigs, acquires the bitter 
flavour of the salicin. This flavour is its peculiarity, rendering it acceptable to 
epicures, and we have had it pressed upon us as a great delicacy under the name of 
“ Rhumfkin.” 
Sus-Section II.—VIMEN. Dumort. 
Nectary linear. Stamens 2, monadelphous, or free; anthers ulti- 
mately yellow. 
Shrubs or small trees, with alternate leaves with revolute vernation, 
and catkins bracteate at the base. Pubescence of the leaves silky. 
SPECIES XI—SALIX VIMINALIS. Li. 
Prats MCCCXXII. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. XI. Tab. DXCVII. Fig. 1248, 
Billot, Fl. Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No. 1958. 
Wimmer, Sal. Europ. p. 36. Sm. Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 1898, and Engl. Fl. Vol. IV. 
p- 228. 
Leaves strapshaped or lanceolate-strapshaped, attenuated at each 
end, acute, undulated and entire at the margins, which are revolute 
when young, smooth and green above, white with satiny hairs beneath. 
Stipules small, narrowly lanceolate. Catkins opening before the leaf- 
buds expand, subsessile; the male catkins with small nonfoliaceous 
bracts at the base, oblong, dense, at first erect, afterwards spreading; 
female catkins short, cylindrical, rather thick, dense, suberect or 
spreading, with small subfoliaceous bracts at the base. Catkin- 
scales oblong or oblong-oblanceolate, pilose. brown. Stamens 2 ; 
filaments free, glabrous. Capsule ovate-conical, white, tomentose, 
subsessile ; style long, usually nearly equalling the stigmas; stigmas 
long, linear, entire or notched, very rarely bifid. Young branches 
and buds more or less softly downy; young leaves at first downy 
on both sides, afterwards glabrous above. 
