230 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



a single leaflet, the margins of leaves are in almost every instance entire. 

 The flowers are solitary, in racemes or panicles, usually with articulated pe- 

 duncles and often with two bracts under each flower. The order has been 

 divided into several sub-orders, and many tribes and sub-tribes. The most 

 common feature of all, is to have what are called papilionaceous flowers, and 

 where these are present, no mistake can arise, as they exist in no other 

 order. Another is to have leguminous fruit, and by one of these two charac- 

 ters they may all be recognised, though one or other disappears in many 

 cases. In a medicinal point of view, although it is one of the most impor- 

 tant of the orders, no general character can be assigned to it, as remedial 

 agents of all kinds are afforded by its species. 



Sub-order 1. Papilionace^e. — Corolla papilionaceous ; stamens usually diadelphous. 

 Flowers mostly perfect. 



This division contains most of the plants 

 of the order with nutritive or at least whole- 

 some seeds, among which the numerous 

 kinds of peas and beans are the best known 

 and most generally employed, but even 

 among these, some are unwholesome and 

 even poisonous, as for instance the Lathyrus 

 aphaca, the seeds of which when mature, 

 are somewhat narcotic and produce head- 

 ache, though when green they can be eaten 

 with impunity. Some of these seeds con- 

 Arachis hypogsa. tain much oil; this is the case with the 



Arachis hypogcea. Nor are the nutritious 

 or edible properties confined to the fruit ; the roots of Glycirrhiza glabra 

 and others of the genus, contain much mucilaginous saccharine juice. 

 Those of several species of JDolichos, Apios, &c, are wholesome food. A 

 kind of manna is produced in Persia and the adjoining countries from a 

 species of Alhagi. 



But marked medicinal qualities also exist in a great number of these plants. 

 Some are purgative, for example, the leaves of Colutea arborescens, of seve- 

 ral species of Coronilla, Genista, Cytisus, &c. The roots of Tephrosia 

 senna are purgative, and those of T. virginica also anthelmintic. Others 

 are diuretic, as the roots of Genista, Ononis, &c, whilst the young shoots 

 of Cytisus scoparius are both purgative and diuretic. The roots and leaves 

 of Baptisia tinctoria are both emetic and purgative. 



Some again are tonic and astringent, thus the 

 Fi e- 118 - African kino is the product of Pterocarpus erina- 



ceus, and P. marsupium furnishes the East In- 

 dian, whilst dragon's blood is obtained from P. 

 draco. Several others of these plants furnish 

 similar resins, as some species of Butea, Dal- 

 bergia, &c. A few produce gum, for instance, 

 Tragacanth exudes from many species of Astra- 

 galus, and others afford dyes, as Indigo is derived 

 from various species of Indigofera, Tephrosia, 

 Baptisia, &c, and yellow tints are obtained from 

 Genista tinctoria, the flowers of Butea frondosa 

 and others. 



Nor are narcotic qualities wanting ; the seeds 



Butea frondosa. of Abrus precatorius are acro-narcotic, according 



to most authorities, though this is denied by Dr. 



