472 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



is dry and brittle ; the seeds, about twenty in number, are immersed in a soft pulp ; they are 

 irregularly angular, about an inch long, of a pale-brown colour, striated and glabrous ; 

 internally they are of a greenish tint, and of a horny consistence. 



This tree is a native of the Philippine Islands, Cochin China, &c. It was 

 first made known by a Jesuit called Camelli, who sent specimens to Ray and 

 Petiver, who published an account in the Philosophical Transactions in 1669. 

 From the Jesuits having first promulgated the properties of this article, the 

 genus was dedicated to the founder of their order, and the seeds, which are 

 the parts used, are named after him in all the languages of Europe. They 

 are extremely bitter, without any smell. Like the Nux vomica they contain 

 strychnia in combination with igasuric acid, but in less proportion. They 

 were analyzed by MM. Pelletier and Caventou (Arm. de Chim. x. 147). 

 They were first brought to Europe by the Portuguese, about the end of the 

 seventeenth century. Father Camelli, who first noticed them in his commu- 

 nication to Ray and Petiver, is of opinion that they were " nuces vomica?, 

 legitime Serapionis." 



Medical Uses, Sf-c. — These seeds may be employed in all cases in which 

 Nux vomica is required, and for the extraction of Strychnia ; but as this active 

 principle is less abundant in them, they have gone very much out of use. 

 They are prescribed in Manilla in cholera, and the raspings as an external 

 astringent (Petiver, o. c.) According to Loureiro, they are esteemed in 

 Cochin China as a panacea, being considered as tonic, diaphoretic, emmena- 

 gogue, anthelmintic, &c. ; he says he has administered this remedy a thousand 

 times, generally with success, and never with any ill consequences (Flor. 

 Cock. 156). They were much prescribed by Dr. Witz in epilepsy, and it is 

 stated with much benefit (Bull. Sci. Med. xi. 74). The German, and other 

 European journals, contain numerous papers on the efficacy of this remedy 

 in a variety of other diseases, but it is seldom employed in England, France, 

 or the United States. 



Order 75.— CONVOLVULACEM.— Ve?ilenat. 



Calyx five-parted, imbricated, persistent. Corolla plaited and twisted in aestivation ; 

 limb often entire. Stamens 5, inserted on the tube near the base. Ovary 2 — 4-celled ; 

 styles united, or more or less distinct. Capsule 2 — 4, or by abortion, 1-celled ; septifragal. 

 Seeds large, with a little mucilaginous albumen. 



A large order of twining or trailing herbs or shrubs, often with a milky 

 juice; the leaves alternate, entire, or variously cleft. Flowers generally 

 large and showy. They are principally natives of tropical regions, though 

 some few are found in cold climates. Many of them contain a peculiar pur- 

 gative, resinous matter, especially in their thickened or tuberous roots. Some, 

 however, have so little of it that they are eatable and nutritive. 



Batatas. — Choisy. 



Sepab 5. Corolla campanulate. Stamens included. Style 1. Stigma capitate, bilobate. 

 Ovary 4.celled, or by abortion 2 — 3-celled. 



A small genus separated from Convolvulus and Ipomcea by Choisy, dif- 

 fering from the first in having but one stigma, and from the latter in the fruit 

 being more than two-celled. The roots are often tuberous, and contain a 

 large proportion of fecula, especially in the cultivated state. 



B. jalapa, Choisy. — Stem trailing or climbing, leaves cordate, entire, sinuate, or lobate, 



