72 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



dictory. Colletia spinosa'^ passes in Chili and Brazil as a purgative 

 wood from wMch is prepared a tincture, prescribed against fever 

 fits, under tte name of estratto alcoholico de Quina. C. cruciata^ 

 (fig. 57),ferox^ and Cruserillo^ are employed by Chilian physicians 

 as purgatives ; it is the wood that is used. Berchemia lineata^ is 

 reputed in China as a hydragogue ; its roots chiefly are useful in the 

 treatment of dropsy. Hovenia dulcis'^ is, in the same country and in 

 Japan, considered salutary in asthma. The over-developed axes of 

 the inflorescence, which become succulent at the period of the 

 maturity of the fruit (fig. 45), are especially used. They are eaten 

 with pleasure, their flavour being nearly that of dried grapes. 

 They are believed to dissipate drunkenness produced by the abuse 

 of saki, a kind of beer prepared from fermented rice. In Abyssinia, 

 Rhamnus inebrians "^ forms part of a kind of beer (mead) in which its 

 bitter bark supplies the place of hops. In Guyana Colubrina fer- 

 mentum^ owes its name to the part in fermentation played by its 

 bitter bark in sweet liquids to which it is added. In Hindostan, an 

 ointment is prepared from the leaves of Scutia circumcissa^ the 

 application of which is supposed to hasten accouchement. 



The drupaceous fruits of the Jujubes appear very different in their 

 properties from the preceding genera. The pulp is sweet, muci- 

 laginous, scented, slightly acid or astringent. It is considered 

 pectoral, and should form part of Jujube paste, but gum and some 

 aromatic substances are too often substituted. The true Jujubes of 

 commerce are the fruit of Zisyphus vulgaris i" (fig. 60-53), a Syrian 

 species, now cultivated in the Mediterranean region of Europe. 

 Z. Jujuha,^^ a species considerably different, belonging to India and 



1 Lamk. III. ii. 90, t. 129.— C. horrida W. op. cit. 806. 



Spec. 1113.— Vent. Jard. Cels. 92. 9 S. indica Ad. Br. Ehamn. 5Q.— Rhamnus cir- 



2 Gill, and Hook. £ot. Mise. i. 62, t. 43.— cumoissus L. p. Suppl. 162.— Ceanothm circum- 

 MiEES, Contrib. i. 256, t. 34, E. — Condalia para- cissus Gtjertn. Fruct. ii. Ill, t. 106. 



doxa Spbbnq. Syst. i. 826. lo Lamk. Diet. iii. 316 ; III. t. 186, fig. 1.— 



' Gill, and Hook. Bot. Misc. i. 164, t. DO. Prodr. ii. 19, n. 1.— Lindl. Fl. M^. 166.— 



** ^- Mer. et Del. Diet. Mat. M4d. vii. 1010.— Eev. 



" Bert, ex Eosenth. op. cit. 806. Fl. Med du XlXr Sieck,Ti. 186.— Gren. et Godr. 



5 DC. Prodr ii. 23, n. 2.—Shammis lineatus L. Fl. de Fr. i. 334.— Caz. PI. Medic Indig. (Id. 3), 

 Amccn. iv. 308.— Osb. It. 249, t. 7. 642.— Gcib. op. cit. iii. 636, fig. 721.— k sativ'a 



6 See p. 78, note 3. Desf. Arhr. ii. 873.— Duham. op. cit. iii. t. 16 



7 E. Be. List of Abyss. Fl. (1814) ; Misc. (not Gjhetn.).— iJAam»«s Zizyphus L. Spec. 382 

 Works (ed. Benn.), i. 94.— JJ. Staddo A. Eich. (CMcourlur, Guircdourlier, Epine d. cerises,' Croc 

 {Sadoo on the Tigris). P.. paucif alius Hochst. - - ■ ■ 



{Guecho of the Ahyes.) has the same pro- ii Lamk. Did. iii. 318.— DC. Prodr. n. 21. 



PS'tiss. —Ehamnus Jujuia L. Spec. 282 (Kool, Pier, 



' Rich, ex Endl. Pnchirid. 683. — Eosenth. Petigha). 



