1888.] Tome Principle of the Aroidese. 109 



the country people use the crushed seed to cure toothache ; it benumbs 

 the nerve ; also used as an external application to bruises on account 

 of its benumbing effect. The taste is intensely acrid ; after a few seconds 

 it causes a most painful burning of the tongue and lips, which lasts 

 for a long time, causing much salivation and subsequent numbness. 

 A section of the fruit and seed show the following structures from 

 without inwards, 1st, several rows of thick-walled cells having yellow- 

 ish brown granular contents, 2nd, a parenchyma composed of thin- 

 walled cells having no solid contents except needle-shaped crystals, 

 3rd, several rows of small cells containing chlorophyll, 4tli, a delicate 

 parenchyma, the cells of which are loaded with very small starch 

 granules, mostly round, some truncated. 



A. viviparuni, Syn. for Remusatia vivipara. 



From the brief resume we have given of the Arums found in India, 

 it will be noticed that a belief in the toxic properties of certain species 

 appears to be pretty generally entertained. In England, A. maculatmn 

 is the best known species. W. Murrell, M. D.* gives an interesting 

 account of this variety, from which we abstract the following : — 



" This plant," Dr. Murrell writes, " has several popular names, the 

 best known being " lords and ladies," " cows and calves," " the parson 

 in the pulpit," " wake robin," and " cuckoo-pint." In former times 

 it was also known as " alron," " janus," " barba aron," *' calve's foot," 

 ** ramp," " starch wort," " cuckow-pintle." The word arum is probably 

 a corruption of " aron " a word of Egyptian origin. Pliny calls it both 

 aris and aron. 



'* The plant, although somewhat rare in Scotland, is common enough 

 all over P]ngland, and abounds in moist hedgerows and shady woods, 

 usually flowering in May. The root, washed and dried, forms the salep 

 of the older cookery books, and under the name of " Portland sago" was 

 formerly used for adulterating arrowroot. 



" It appears to have been highly esteemed by the older writers on 

 medicine : it was used both externally and internally, and was con- 

 sidered invaluable in stimulating digestion and improving the circu- 

 lation. Culpepper says, " a drachm of the powder of the dried root 

 taken with twice as much sugar in the form of a licking electuary, or 

 the green root, doth wonderfully help those that are pursy and short- 

 winded, as also those that have a cough : it breaketh, digesteth, and 

 riddeth away phlegm from the stomach, chest, and lungs ; the milk 

 wherein the root hath been boiled is effectual also for the same pur- 

 pose .... Taken with sheep's milk, it healeth the inward ulcers 

 of the bowels ; the distilled water thereof is effectual to all the purposes 

 * British Med. Joiuu., May 7th, 1881. 



