80 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



The greatest number of species appertaining to this order are found in Europe, 

 amounting to one-fifth. North America contains about one-seventh. They 

 being characteristic of a cool climate, all those met with in tropical countries 

 inhabit mountains. Many of them were at one time employed in medi- 

 cine, but with a few exceptions, have fallen into disuse. They are in gene- 

 ral acrid and caustic, but are very various in their physical properties. 

 Thus, in many of them, there is a volatile acrid principle of a very peculiar 

 nature, destructible by heat, or even by simple drying, but neither acid nor 

 alkaline; in others, as in Aconitum and Delphinium, the active ingredient is 

 an alkaloid, highly deleterious even in minute doses ; in some again, the only 

 marked properties are those of the pure bitters, as in Coptis and Hydrastis. 



Tribe 1. — Anemones. — Petals wanting, or plane. Anthers generally ex- 

 trorse. Achenia numerous, caudate. Seed suspended. 



Clematis.— Linn. 



Involucre wanting, or resembling a calyx below the flower. Sepals 4 — 8, coloured, 

 valvate. Petals wanting, or shorter than the sepals. Anthers extrorse. Achenia numer- 

 ous, terminating in along feather-like tail. 



The species of this genus are perennial herbaceous, or half shrubby plants, 

 often sarmentose ; with opposite leaves. They are in most cases so acrid as 

 to blister the skin if applied to it in a fresh state, but their activity is destroyed 

 by drying or exposure to heat. The C. erecta, C. flammula, and C. vitalba 

 of Europe, were at one time employed as rubefacients and vesicants, but are 

 now seldom used in regular practice. Wendt, however, has spoken of 

 the last-mentioned species as useful in scrofula, itch, and many cutaneous 

 diseases. The young shoots are used in some parts of Italy as a substitute 

 for Asparagus. Some of our native species, as C. viorna, and C. virginica, 

 have also been employed, both externally in the treatment of eruptions and 

 as vesicants, and also internally as diuretics and sudorifics in chronic rheuma- 

 tism, &c. The C. dioica, a native of Jamaica, is said by Dr. Macfadyen 

 (Flor. Jam. 1, 2,) to be active ; a decoction of the root in sea-water acting as 

 a powerful hydragogue purgative in dropsy ; and an infusion of the leaves 

 and flowers removing spots and freckles from the skin. The C. mauritiana 

 is stated by Commerson, to be used in the Isle of France as a revulsive in 

 cases of toothache, neuralgia of the face, &c. (Encyclop. Meth. ii. 42.) 



Anemone. — Linn. 



Involucre 3-leaved, distant from the flower, its leaflets incised. Sepals 8-15, petaloid. 

 Petals none. Achenia mucronate or caudate. 



These are perennial herbs with radical leaves. The medical properties are 

 very similar to those of Clematis, but more active. The A. pulsatilla and 

 A. pratensis had some reputation in the treatment of cutaneous disorders, and 

 in amaurosis, in consequence of the experiments of Storck ; he used an 

 extract, at first in small doses, but gradually increasing the quantity till some 

 marked effect was produced. Bonnet, (An. Jour, de Med. 1783,) also speaks 

 highly of this extract in obstinate cutaneous affections ; and Dr. ftamm, 

 (Arch. Gen. de. Med. 1828,) states that in small doses it is eminently suc- 

 cessful in hooping cough. It is probable that the A. patens, a native both of 

 Europe and North America, is analogous in its properties to the above. The 

 root of A. cernua, a native of Japan and China, is in high repute in those 

 countries as a bitter tonic. 



