140 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



Linn., Sp. PL, 1324; Engl. BoL, ii. 619; Stokes, Bot. Mat. Med., ii. 

 440 ; Stephenson and Churchill, i. 29 ; Lindley, Flor. Med., 97. 



Common Names. — Violet, Sweet Violet, Garden Violet. 



Foreign Names. — Violette odorante, Fr. ; Viola mammola, It. ; Blaue 

 veilchen, Gr. 



This Violet is a native of every part of Europe, and is also found in many 

 parts of Asia; it is not indigenous to the United States, but has become natu- 

 ralized in some places. It is well known as occupying a place in every gar- 

 den, on account of the early appearance and fragrance of its flowers. There 

 are numerous varieties, both as regards colour and the multiplication of the 

 petals. The Violet is mentioned by Homer, Theophrastus, and most of the 

 ancient writers ; but it has been stated by Lord Mahon (Letter to the Anti- 

 quarian Soc.) that the Violet of these authors was a species of Iris, and that 

 this latter plant is still called viola in Sicily. His arguments, however, are 

 far from satisfactory, and any evidence drawn from the name is applicable 

 to numerous other plants besides the Iris, as the Italians term a variety of 

 sweet-smelling plants viola. 



The odour of the Violet is extremely pleasant and grateful to most persons, 

 but is repugnant and even injurious to some individuals, causing headache 

 and vertigo ; and Triller reports a case where it caused apoplexy in an old 

 lady. The Violet at one time -enjoyed a high reputation as a remedial agent, 

 but is now only used in the preparation of a syrup from the flowers, which is 

 a mild laxative and demulcent ; but is still more employed by chemists as a 

 reagent in the detection of acids and alkalies. The seeds are also somewhat 

 purgative; and Bichat states that three or four drachms of them, made into 

 an emulsion with sugar and water, acts as a mild and pleasant purgative. 

 The roots are possessed of far more energetic properties, being emetic and 

 purgative, in about the same doses as ipecacuanha, for which they have been 

 proposed as a substitute ; but they have the disadvantage of being uncertain 

 in their effects, sometimes acting very powerfully, .and at others producing 

 little or no impression. They owe this power to the presence of a peculiar 

 principle, discovered by Boullay in every part of the plant, but principally in 

 the roots and seeds, and which he calls violine. This is closely allied to 

 emetine in composition and action, and was at one time considered as identi- 

 cal with it. 



Several other species of violet have been used in medicine, and have been 

 spoken of in high terms by different writers. One only is officinal in our 

 national Pharmacopoeia, the V. pedata, a native of the United States, and re- 

 markable for the size and beauty of its flowers and its many -parted leaves. 

 It has been successfully employed as an expectorant and demulcent, and may 

 be considered an equivalent to the V. odorata of Europe. Much stronger 

 testimony has been adduced of the powers of two of the caulescent species, 

 the V. arvensis and V. tricolor, more especially by German writers. These 

 two plants long enjoyed the reputation of being excellent depuratives, but 

 were not fully experimented with until Strack made them the subject of a dis- 

 sertation in 1776. Since then the observations of Metzer, Ploucquet, and 

 others have shown that they are possessed of much efficacy in the treatment 

 of cutaneous diseases, and especially of that obstinate and unpleasant erup- 

 tion, crustea lactea. On the other hand Alibert denies their powers; but it 

 does not appear that his opinion is founded on actual experiment. The fresh 

 plant, or its juice, is to be used, as drying destroys its active qualities. 

 Strack states that when this remedy has been taken for some time, the urine 

 becomes extremely fcetid, smelling like that of the cat. According to Ber- 

 gius, these plants are extremely mucilaginous, an ounce and a half in twelve 



