622 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



eases in which this had been recommended by more ancient authorities. 

 Matthiolus, in his Commentaries on Dioscorides, whilst admitting that the 

 true Calamus was unknown, gives a representation of what he supposed it 

 would be found to be ; and this imaginary species is admitted by Bauhin in 

 his Pinax. Clusius was the first to figure the A. calamus as the plant of the 

 ancients, in Plant. Rar., lib. ii. 230 ; but in his Aromaticum, 124, he re- 

 tracted this opinion, and considers it to have been one of the Apiaceae ; his 

 plate, however, somewhat resembles a culm of one of the grasses. In 1640, 

 Prosper Albinus, in Plantce JEzoticce, gave the figure of a plant from Egypt, 

 which, he thinks, resembles a Lysimachia, and Lemery, in his Diet, des 

 Drogues, has adopted his opinion. Linnseus refers it to his Andropogon 

 nardus, and, finally, Guibourt has endeavoured to show, that it is identical 

 with Gentiana (Agathotes) chirayta. Merat and De Lens are inclined to 

 believe, that it is the variety of Acorus calamus found on the Malabar coast, 

 and figured by Rheede, (Hort. Malabar., ii. 48,) under the name of Vaembu. 

 Be this»as it may, no Calamus now is known, except the roots of the plant 

 under consideration. 



Medical Uses. — Calamus is a stimulating tonic, which has been found 

 very useful in flatulent colic, in atonic conditions of the stomach, and other 

 deranged conditions of the gastric organs. Dr. Thomson says, from his 

 own experience, that it is one of the best adjuvants to bark and quinine in 

 intermittents, and that, even alone, it has been successfully used in these dis- 

 eases. In India it is highly esteemed, and Ainslie informs us, that it is 

 deemed so valuable in diseases of the stomach and bowels, that a penalty is 

 incurred by any druggist who will not dispense it, at whatever time it may 

 be demanded. The Arabians and Persians consider it to be powerfully 

 aphrodisiac and carminative. The Turks make a confection of it, which is 

 regarded as a preservative against contagion. 



It may be given in powder, in doses of a scruple to a drachm, or in infu- 

 sion. When prescribed in the flatulent colic of infants, it is best combined 

 with magnesia. 



Group XL VI. — Narcissales. 



Order 108.— UJEMODORACEM.— Brown. 



Flowers hermaphrodite. Perianth mostly more or less woolly, adherent; sepals and 

 petals often undistinguishable and united into a tube. Stamens inserted on the tube, 

 either 3, and opposite the petals, or 6 ; anthers dehiscing inwardly. Ovary with the 

 cells 1 — 2 — many-seeded, adherent, usually 3-celled, sometimes 1-celled, with a placenta 

 at one point of the axis; style simple; stigma undivided; ovules amphitropal. Fruit 

 covered with the withered perianth, capsular, valvular, seldom indehiscent. Seeds defi- 

 nite or indefinite, fixed by the base or peltate, winged or wrinkled, and angular. Embryo 

 in cartilaginous albumen. 



They are herbaceous plants, sometimes very large, with fibrous perennial 

 roots, and permanent, ensiform, equitant leaves, mostly in two ranks. They 

 occur in South America, Cape of Good Hope, Australia, and sparingly in 

 the United States. Many of them have a red juice, and most of them are 

 bitter and astringent. Some, as Hcemodorum spicatum, and paniculatum, 

 and Anigosanthus floridus, have roots which are acrid when fresh, but when 

 roasted are mild and nutritious, and are used for food by the natives of 

 Australia. Lachnanthes tinctoria of the United States, has a reddish root, 

 which is somewhat astringent and tonic. The only important medicinal 

 plant is the Aletris. 



