376 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
Burtonia. If the branches or foliage of certain Zephrosias (T. toxt- 
carta, piscatoria, Vogelii,) &c.) are thrown into water-courses, they 
poison the fish, acting on them, it is said, like Foxglove.’ The 
application of the leaves of several Leguminose* will cure sluggish 
ulcers and chronic phlegmasiz, owing probably to their counter- 
irritant effect. The same is the case with many roots, such as the 
Brooms, Beans, Kidney-vetch (Fr., Vulnéraire), Rest-harrow, and 
certain species of Tephrosia. The root of Clitoria Ternatea is used as 
an evacuant in India. That of Phaseolus radiatus, P. multiforus, &c., 
has in several cases proved poisonous. The decoction of the roots of 
several Indigoferas is a good vermifuge, and cures aphthe and obsti- 
nate ulcers. The root-bark of Piscidia Erythrina‘ is used in fishing 
in the Antilles, like Tephrosia elsewhere. In Andira’ and Geoffrea’ 
are drastic purgatives, emetics, and vermifuges, useful in medicine, 
but in large doses poisons of unmistakeable strength. 
Another leading property in Papilionacee is astringency, which is 
nothing remarkable, considering that most of the species are rich in 
tannin.’ Several of the kinos and catechus of commerce are furnished 
by Dalbergiee, notably Hecastaphyllum monetarium, and above all by 
the various species Pterocarpus. P. Draco, Marsupium, santalinus, 
erinaceus, &c., produce kinos and gum-dragon or dragon’s-blood.* 
Gum-Butea, a reddish substance of astringent tonic virtues, and 
mainly used in preparing hides, is yielded by Butea frondosa and 
superba in India? Gum lac is also found on these Buteas, where its 
formation is determined by the presence of certain insects of the 
group Coccide. Itis perhaps the astringency of Euchresta Horsfieldii” 
See H. By., in Adansonia, vi. 225, 
Linp.., op. cit., 549. 
Especially the genus Indigofera. 
See p. 326, note 3. 
See H. Bw., in Dict. Encycl. des Sc. Méd., 
6, ii, 187; iii, 845), it is Pterocarpus indicus 
which yields dragon’s blood in Asia, and P. Draco 
or P. gummifer in America, chiefly in the Antilles, 
but this drayon’s blood is rare in commerce. The 
on Bw Noe 
iv. 310, 688. 
6 See Gurs., Drog. Simpl., ed. 6, iii. 331. 
7 Tr&cvL., Du tannin dans les Légumineuses 
(in Compt. Rend. Acad. Sc., 1x. 225; in Adan- 
sonia, vii. 118; in Ann. Sc. Nat., sér. 5, iv. 378). 
In these memoirs it is shown that certain Legu- 
minose possess tannin-cells, while others. lack 
them. In the former the cells exist’ only in the 
bark or the circumference of the pith, or in both 
bark and pith. In certain species tannin occurs 
even in the cells of the epidermis and the collen- 
chyma. 
8 According to CurBouRT (Drog. Simpl., ed. 
same author (op. cit., iii. 425) mentions among 
the kinos the astringent juice of the African species 
P. erinaceus, Muxray appears to have been the 
first author to refer the origin of the astringent 
gum of Gambia to this same species of Ptero- 
carpus, According to Roxpurex and RoyiE 
P. Marsupium tarnishes great part of the kino 
of India. 
® See H. BN., in Dict. Eneycl. des Sc. Méd., 
xi, 334. 
0 Beny., Pl. Javan, Rar, 148, t. 31.— 
Andira? Horsfieldii Luscu., in Ann. Mus., xvi. 
481, t.12. (See p. 323, note 6.) 
