594 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



of the plants ordered by Charlemagne to be grown in every garden. The 

 seeds afford much oil, which has been highly spoken of by Calderini, and 

 others, as a mild purgative in doses of 6 or 7 drops. In trials made with it 

 in this country, it was found always to induce nausea, and even vomiting. 

 (Scattergood, Jour. Phil. Coll. Pharm. iv. 124.) E. ligularia, of India, is 

 said to be alexipharmic, for which purpose the root is mixed with black pep- 

 per. {Roxburgh.) E. nereifolia, also an East India plant, is spoken of by 

 Ainslie (Mat. Ind. ii. 97), as used by the Hindoo practitioners as a purgative 

 and deobstruent, and also as proving diuretic. Externally it is employed, 

 mixed with Margosa oil, in contracted limbs. Loureiro says it is an unsafe 

 remedy. E. capitata, of Brazil, is praised by Piso (Bras. 102), as very ef- 

 ficacious in the bites of venomous snakes ; it is given internally, and also ap- 

 plied to the wound. Ainslie (ii. 14) speaks of it as useful in aphthous affections. 



The root of E. gerardiana, of Europe, is cathartic and emetic, and is said 

 by Deslongchamps (Man. PL Indig. 2), to be the best and safest of the 

 European species. E. esula, also a native of Europe, is very acrid, and ac- 

 cording to Scopoli (Flor. Carn. 435), has caused death in a dose of thirty 

 grains. E. peplis, E. peplus, E. falcata, &c, of Europe, purge actively, 

 and E. cyparissias is a virulent poison, having in more than one instance de- 

 stroyed life. Hooker (Brit. Fl. 326) says that E. hibernica is used in some 

 parts of Ireland to poison fish, and that it is so powerful that a small basket of 

 it will stupefy these animals for several miles down a river. E. pucatoria is 

 employed in the same way in Asia. E. pityusa, of Southern Europe, is highly 

 spoken of by Deslongchamps, and others, as a purgative. According to Ainslie, 

 E. thymifolia, of India, is a little aromatic and astringent, and is used by Ta- 

 mool physicians as an anthelmintic, and in certain bowel affections of children, 

 and Forskal states, that it is esteemed as a vulnerary among the Arabs. 



Several of the species have been thought beneficial in syphilitic complaints, 

 as E. parviflora and hirta in India, E. linearis, in South America, E. hiber- 

 nica and canescens in Europe. It may, in fact, be stated that no species of 

 this numerous genus is destitute of active properties. 



Besides Euphorbia, other genera of this tribe are possessed of remedial 

 properties; thus Pedilanthus tithymaloides, of the West Indies and South 

 America, is employed in venereal cases, and. is also esteemed as an emmena- 

 gogue. Descourtilz states that it has the properties of Ipecacuanha in doses 

 of 12 to 15 grains. 



Tribe 3. Hippomane^e. — Ovule single. Flowers apetalous in spikes; bracts ^many- 

 flowered. 



Most of the plants of this tribe are active and poisonous, and several have 

 been employed as medicines, though, none of them are officinal in the British 

 or U. S. Pharmacopoeias. Hicra crepitans, or the Sand Box tree of tropical 

 America, has an exceedingly acrid juice, a drop of it applied to the eye will 

 cause blindness. The seeds are a drastic and dangerous purgative. The 

 Hippomane mancinella, or Manchineel, of the same regions, is still more 

 poisonous. A drop of the juice will almost immediately produce a blister 

 when applied to the skin. The fruit, which resembles a small apple, has a 

 pleasant smell, but is so acrid as to destroy the skin of the lips if attempted 

 to be eaten, and if swallowed, induces violent inflammation of the stomach. 

 The juice of Sapium aucuparivm, a native of Colombia, is also venomous, 

 and the emanations from it will induce an erysipelatous inflammation ; these 

 properties are common to another species, S. indicum, found on the shores of 

 the Ganges. The seeds are employed to intoxicate fish. The juice of Execs- 

 caria agallocha, of the East Indian Archipelago, causes severe inflammation 



