132 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



Fig. 73. 



1. Radical leaf, 

 pistils. 



C. armoracia. 



2. Raceme. 3. Stamens and 



4. Pistil. 5. Silicle. 



Description. — The root is long, white, 

 cylindrical, striking deep into the earth. 

 The stem is round, erect, branched, and 

 about two feet high. The radical leaves 

 are large, petiolated,of a dark green colour, 

 crenate, waved, and sometimes lobed ; those 

 of the stem are few, scattered, smaller, ses- 

 sile, lanceolate, sometimes entire, but gene- 

 rally more or less toothed. The flowers 

 are numerous, white, and in terminal 

 clusters.. The sepals are ovate, concave, 

 and deciduous. The petals are obovate, 

 twice as long as the sepals, and ungui- 

 culate. The stamens are as long as the 

 calyx, incurved and supporting heart- 

 shaped anthers. The ovary is oblong, 

 with a short style, bearing a short capitate 

 stigma, and changing into an elliptical, 

 compressed, bilocular pod, containing about 

 four seeds in each cell, many of which are 

 abortive. 



The Horse Radish is a native of 

 many parts of Europe, growing na- 

 turally in moist and rich soils, and 

 has long been cultivated for the 

 sake of its roots, which are exten- 

 sively used as a condiment. When 

 planted in gardens it is extremely 

 difficult to be eradicated, as the roots 

 are furnished with many buds or 

 eyes, each of which will give rise to a plant. They should always be grown 

 in a rich and somewhat moist soil, otherwise they will be small and stringy. 

 This plant is said to have been known to Dioscorides and Hippocrates, but 

 this is extremely doubtful, though it was in use in the time of Pliny. 



The root, which is the only part used, has a pungent odour, and a warm 

 acrid taste with a slight sweetness. It imparts its properties to water and 

 alcohol, and in a still greater degree to vinegar. These qualities depend on 

 the presence of a volatile oil which is dissipated by heat or desiccation ; on 

 drying, the root first becomes sweetish, and afterwards nearly insipid ; it may 

 be kept for a long time uninjured if covered with sand in a cool place. Its 

 principal use is for a condiment to various kinds of animal food and more espe- 

 cially to beef, for which purpose it is graled or scraped and mixed with 

 vinegar, if this preparation is kept in well-closed jars, it retains its pungency 

 for a long time. 



Medical Properties, fyc. — As a remedial agent it acts very much like mus- 

 tard, but promotes the secretions, especially that of urine, in a more marked 

 mariner. When taken into the stomach in any quantity, it excites that organ 

 powerfully, and also operates as a sudorific and diuretic. It was at one time 

 considered useful in paralysis and chronic rheumatism, and was used with 

 success by Sydenham in dropsy supervening on intermittent fever. The 

 infusion acts as an emetic, and like mustard, may be employed where there is 

 torpidity of the stomach, either alone, or to aid the operation of other emetics. 

 It has also been prescribed as a masticatory in paralysis of the tongue. Dr. 

 Cullen states that a drachm of the root infused in four ounces of boiling 

 water in a close vessel, and made into a syrup with double its weight of 

 sugar, acts very beneficially in the removal of hoarseness arising from re- 



