136 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



tropics, a few, however, are found in more northern regions, especially in 

 North America. The physical properties of the order are somewhat analo- 

 gous to those of the cruciferous plants, but there is also conjoined in many of 

 them an acrid and poisonous principle, rendering them suspicious and even 

 dangerous. Thus the bark of the root of Cratceva gynandra blisters like 

 cantharides ; this is the case also with several species of Capparis, Polanisia 

 and Ckome. Many have been employed medicinally, among which may be 

 noticed the Polanisia graveolens, a native of the United States, which is an 

 active anthelmintic, much resembling in its effects Chenopodium anthelmin- 

 ticum ; the whole plant is used either in powder, decoction, or syrup. It was 

 first noticed by Schoepf, and is a popular remedy in some parts of the country. 

 The Cleomefelina is stated by Dr. Hamilton to be used in India, bruised with 

 milk and sugar, against epistaxis. (Ainslie, Mat, Ind. ii. 360.) The C. 

 icosandra is employed in Cochin-China, as a rubefacient (De Candolle, Essai, 



iii.) The C. triphylla has some 

 reputation in Hayti as an anti-scor- 

 butic. (Flor. Med. des Antill. i. 

 202.) The C. viscosa is said to be 

 used in India in cases of deafness. 

 (Rheede, Malabar, ix. 23.) The 

 Gynandropsis pentaphylla, a na- 

 tive of Asia and the United States, is 

 considered in the former as a power- 

 ful sudorific, and is used externally 

 in headache and other cephalic affec- 

 tions ; a^ decoction of the seeds also 

 is employed in convulsive attacks 

 and typhus, (Ainslie, ii. 452.) Dr. 

 Macfadyen also states that the juice, 

 either alone or mixed with oil, is an 

 excellent remedy in ear-ache, as a 

 topical application, (Flor. Jam.) 

 The best known plants of this order 

 are those species of Capparis, as 

 the spinosa, rupestris, drc, which 

 furnish the flower buds used to 

 make the celebrated pickle and con- 

 diment called Capers. These are 

 stimulating, anti-scorbutic, and even- 

 aperient. Another species, the C. 

 sodada, has a narcotic odour, and 

 its acrid stimulating fruit is em- 

 ployed to promote fecundity ; and 

 the roots of the C. siliquosa are re- 

 puted to be anthelmintic, aperient 

 and stimulant. (Flor. des Antill. 

 i. 141.) The same properties are attributed to the Cadaba indica. An in- 

 fusion of '. C. cynophallophora has been found useful in dropsy. (Flor. Jam.) 

 It is evident that this order is endowed with active qualities, and is de- 

 serving of attention in a pharmacological point of view, but our information 

 on the subject is extremely vague, and will require much investigation of the 

 real properties of the several species, to ascertain their value as therapeutic 

 agents, or to admit them into the already overcrowded lists of the Materia 

 Medica. 



C. spinosa. 



1. Flower. 2. A petal. 3. Calyx and ovary 4. Sec 

 tion of fruit. 5. Section of seed. 6. Embryo. 



