278 
San Lazaro, the Elephantiasis or Satyri- 
asis of the Greeks. After various endea- 
vours, and as many delays, I finally 
succeeded in obtaining samples of the 
plant, which enabled me to ascertain its 
characters, and at the request of several 
persons here, I have published these, to- 
gether with such observations on its medi- 
cinal powers, as I had either witnessed 
myself or collected from others. I forward 
to you a copy of my paper on the subject, 
printed in the last number of the Jamaica 
Physical Journal, and enclose with it some 
of the best specimens of the plant that I 
have received from Riobamba, together 
with its seeds ; believing that you will not 
be displeased at being made acquainted 
with a new plant, which may hereafter 
prove highly valuable to the human race. 
Should you do me the favour to examine 
the plant, and to compare your results 
with my description, I trust you will be so 
kind as to correct whatever you may find 
defective in the latter; and in case you 
should feel disposed to give a figure of it 
in the Botanical Magazine, I send you a 
magnified drawing of the flower, which I 
made, partly from my own examination, 
and partly from Signor Marcacci’s account 
of it, as seen by him, which, he said, repre- 
sented correctly the colours and bearing of 
the flowers." 
(Signed) * E. N. BANCROFT.” 
Dr. Bancroft has great merit in endea- 
vouring to ascertain the real properties of 
this plant, and for taking so much pains to 
separate the truth bir those false state- 
ments which have undoubtedly been given 
through ignorance or fraud. I shall omit 
the accounts of the particular effects pro- 
duced bythis medicine upon the patient, 
which are more suited to a Medical than a 
Botanical Journal ; and, with regard to the 
plant itself, I have only to observe, that 
after comparing it carefully with Hum- 
boldt’s full description, drawn up from 
original Colombian specimens of Jonidium 
parviflorum, Vent. (Viola parviflora, of 
Mutis and ^ s) received from Mutis 
himself, with llent figure and de- 
se ription given y St Hilaire, in his 
ON THE MEDICINAL PLANT, CALLED CUICHUNCHULLI. 
“ Plantes Usuelles des Braziliens, t. 20,” 
and with my own specimens from the North 
of Chili (Conception), mentioned in the 
Botany of Capt. Beechey’s Voyage ; I have 
no hesitation in pronouncing it to be the 
same. It is the Maytensillo of Feuillé, 
Fil. Chil. v. 3, p. 41, t. 28, a name, with 
the exception of the first letter, which is 
perhaps an error in the orthography, evi- 
dently identical with that which is applied 
to our plant; and that author observes of 
it, that the root is similar to that of Jpeca- 
cuanha in shape, and employed in lieu of 
Senna, it being considered one of the most 
sovereign purgatives ofthe country. Cava- 
nilles (Icones, v. 6. p. 21) has noticed it, as 
having been found at Montevideo, in Quito, 
and in Chili; thus it appears to have a 
most extensive range on the Southern Con- 
tinent of the new world. St. Hilaire is of 
opinion that the Jonidium glutinosum of 
Ventenat, a native of Buenos Ayres, should 
be united with it; and the Z. microphyllum 
of Humboldt scarcely appears to differ from 
it, except in all the leaves being opposite. 
Dr. Bancroft is disposed to consider the 
Cuichunchulli a species distinct from par- 
viflorum, chiefly on account of the sup- 
sed absence of the two nectariferous 
scales: but although they are very minute, 
they are unquestionably present, exactly as 
in Z. parviflorum, situated at the f 
stamens, between them and the lower lip. 
He proposes that it should have been called 
I. Marcucii, in honour of M. Jean Batiste 
Marcucci, a French gentleman, whose in- 
defatigable exertions, as mentioned below, 
undertaken, in order to procure the Cui- 
chunchilli, certainly entitle him to such a 
ction. ). 
“The in of the public," Dr. Ban- 
croft observes, “ throughout Colombia, has 
lately been excited by accounts published 
in various Journals, relative to a plant 
named Cuichunchulli,! which is stated t to 
