300 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



bark are extremely irritant and poisonous ; applied to the eyes they 

 cause violent ophthalmia. It was thought possible to utilise these 

 powerful properties in therapeutics. The leaves have been applied 

 topically to the skin to modify chronic cutaneous affections, erup- 

 tions, and warts, and an alcoholic tincture has been employed as an 

 eye-salve in cases of ophthalmia. These medicines have been given 

 inwardly for paralysis, gouty affections, and rheumatism.' The two 

 closely allied species contain a gummy resinous juice which quickly 

 solidifies, blackens, and stains the skin brown.^ R. Metopium^ a 

 species from the Antilles, has an astringent bark, recommended for 

 diarrhoeic, hemorrhoidal, scrofulous, and venereal affections. It 

 yields by incision a gum-resin called Doctor-gum, used internally as 

 an evacuant in syphilitic affections, diseases of the bladder and liver, 

 and externally for the treatment of sores. The leaves have been 

 prescribed topically for malignant pustule, and inwardly as astringent. 

 R. cotinus * (fig. 310-313), or European Fustic,^ growing in the south, 

 from the west of Spain to the base of the Caucasus, has been recom- 

 mended as a febrifuge ; its bitter bark has been proposed as a sub- 

 stitute for chincona. The leaves are used to make gargles in cases of 

 buccal and pharyngial ulcerations, but it is especially an industrial 

 plant. The wood with a brownish and greenish heart is valued 

 in cabinet-work, and the tincture is used to dye stuffs and morocco 

 orange yellow; it is mixed with cochineal or Prussian blue 

 to obtain chamois or green tones. Its leaves are used also for 

 tanning skins. Many other Sumachs^ are employed in different 

 parts of the world. Several Chinese and Japanese species, 



' Meb,. et Del. Diet. Mat. Med. vi. 78. gerum Bl. which, in Java and Japan, yields 



2 They contain, besides the gum-resin, a wax; the S. C/twense, whose hemes furnish 

 glycoside called eoriamyrtine. Collinsonia cana- oil ; the R. elegans Ait. whose leaves are smoked 

 densis and Verbena urtietefolia are pointed out with tobacco in Mexico, and whose sourish and 

 a3 their antidotes. sharp berries are used as a condiment ; the R. 



3 L. Ammn, v. 395. — Sloan. Mist. ii. t. 199, lavigatum L. and vimwale Vahl, from the Oape, 

 fig. 5.—T>G.Prodr. u. 2. — Desc. Fl. JUid. des used for wheelwrights' work; R. striatum R. 

 Ant. ii 49. — March. Anacard. 144. and Pat. from Peru, dyeing species (yellow) • 



* L. Spec. 383. — jAca. Fl. Austr. t. 238. — the S. oxijacantha ScuousB. or Djedari, from 



Geen. et GoDR. Fl. de Fr. i. 340. — Guib. op. Morocco, used for dyeing silk stuffs black • R. 



cit. iii. 488. — Cotinus cmaria Don. Panpt. 780. altidum Schoitsb. and pentaphyllum Desp. of 



— T. Inst. 610, t. 380. — C. Coggygria Scor. Fl. northern Africa, whose friuts are edible, and 



Carn. ed. 2, n. 368. — M(en(.h, Meth. 73. eaten as condiments; R. suaveolens AiT_used in 



6 Fastic, Coquesigrue, Arbre & perrug[ues. the United States for dyeing orange yellow ; R. 



' Particularly R. scrratum and R. integri- Thunbergii Book, a species from the Cape 



fulium (sect. Styphonia), species from North yielding cabinet wood, etc. (See Eosenth. op. 



America, yielding a stimulant resin; R. pupi- cit. 849, 1155). 



