16() MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



in the root of the licorice plant (Fig. 162) is a bitter-sweet, 

 yellowish compound forming a jelly with water. 



The astringeyits present in vegetable drugs, or extracted 

 from them, are various tannins, significant properties of 

 which have already been described in section 57. As ex- 

 amples of drugs used more or less for their astringency may 



Fig. 1.58. — Mar.shmallow (Althaa officinalix. Mallow Family, Malvacecr). 

 Flowering to]j. (BaiUon.) — A perennial herb aljout 1 m. tall, downy 

 throughont; leaves pale purplish; fruit dry. Native home. Eastern 

 Europe. 



here be mentioned the root of rhulnirb (Fig. ](5.3) and the 

 bark and leaves of witch-hazel (Fig. 164), from both of which 

 fluid extracts and other medicinal i)r(']iarations are obtained. 

 As examples of fixed oils much used in medicine for their 

 lubricating oi- soothing effect, there are in common use the 



