stky] 



€l)t HCxtK&ur$ of botany. 



1106 



great distress, tetanic convulsions, and ul- 

 timately death. Strychnin and brucin pro- 

 duce precisely similar effects, but are far 

 more powerful; insomuch that Dr. Christi- 

 son reports that he has seen a dog killed 

 in two minutes, when not more than the 

 sixth part of a grain had been injected 

 into the animal's chest. These substances 

 act for the most part on the spinal cord. 

 In cases of poisoning by these formidable 

 drugs, but little can be done beyond 

 emptying the stomach immediately, as no i 

 antidote has yet been discovered. As- 

 tringents and narcotics are recommended, 

 and also the use of artificial respiration. 

 It is also said that the fruit of the cucur- 

 bitaceous Feuillcea cord if blia is an antidote 

 against this and other poisons, but this 

 statement requires confirmation. Medici- 

 nally nux-vomica is used, in the shape of 

 extract or tincture, in certain forms of 

 paralysis and indigestion; and in small 

 doses it acts as a tonic and diuretic. The 

 bark of the tree possesses similar proper- 

 ties to the seeds, but in a less degree. 



Serious consequences ensued in the early 

 part of the present century from this bark 

 having been imported and used as Angos- 

 tura bark (see Galipeai ; and in Calcutta 

 it is still said to be sold for the harmless 

 bark of Soymida febrifuga, or Rohun-bark. 

 Owing to the timely interposition of Dr. 

 O'Shaughnessy, an error was rectified 

 which otherwise might have had frightful 

 consequences. It appears that a chemist 

 procured, as he thought, a new alkaloid 

 from the Rohun-bark, analogous to qui- 

 nine, and which was therefore manufac- 

 tured for the purpose of being employed 

 in the Indian Army as a substitute for that 

 drug. Dr. O'Shaughnessy, however, detect- 

 ed that the alkaloid in question was brucin, 

 and that it had been derived from nux- 

 vomica bark sold under the name of the 

 harmless Rohun-bark. 



The wood of the nux-vomica tree is hard 

 and very bitter ; it is said to be used in 

 India in cases of intermittent fever and in 

 snake-bites. A decoction of the leaves is 

 used externally in rheumatism. 



S. Tieute, a climbing shrub, growing in 

 Java, yields a juice which is used by the 

 natives for poisoning their arrows. Its 

 effects are precisely similar to those of 

 nux-vomica, being dependent on the 

 same ingredients. This poison is called 

 Upas Tieute, but must not be confounded 

 with the true Upas: see Axtiaris. S. 

 toxifera also yields a frightful poison 

 called Ourari or Wourali, employed by the 

 natives of Guiana. It has been tried 

 in cases of hydrophobia, but with no 

 good result. S. colubrina, a native of Ma- 

 labar, furnishes one kind of lignum eolu- 

 briiuim, or Snakewood; it is considered 

 by the natives as an infallible remedy in 

 cases of snake-bite, and is also given in 

 fevers and other complaints. S. Ugustrina 

 and other species are said to yield in Java 

 various kinds of Snakewood, used for 

 similar purposes to the one last mentioned. 

 S. Pseudo-Qiiina, a native of Brazil, yields 

 Colpache-bark, which is largely used in 



thac country in cases of fever, and is con- 

 sidered to equal quinine in value ; its fruit 

 is edible. It is stated that this species 

 does not contain strychnin in spite of its 

 bitter taste, and hence it is not considered 

 to be poisonous. 



From S. potatorum, a tree found in the 

 mountains and forests of India, are ob- 

 tained the seeds known in that country as 

 Clearing Nuts. The fruit is black, of the 

 size of a cherry, and contains only a single 

 seed. These seeds are employed to clear 

 muddy water; they are simply rubbed round 

 the inside of the vessel for a minute or 

 two, and then the water is allowed to settle. 

 Their efficacy for this purpose depends, 

 according to Dr. Pereira, on their albumen 

 and casein, which act as fining agents, like 

 those employed for wine or beer. Many 

 other seeds might be used for the same 

 purpose. The fruits and seeds are also 

 used medicinally in India. 



The pulp of the fruit of several species 

 is harmless and edible : thus in Egypt and 

 Senegal the natives eat the fruit of S. in- 

 nocua ; the Indians do not scruple to eat 

 the fruits of S. potatorum ; and the pulp of 

 the Tieute even is said to be edible. The 

 plant yielding St. Ignatius-beans is not 

 known with certainty; it is, however, sur- 

 mised to be a species of Strychnosfrom the 

 quantity of strychnin contained in the 

 seeds : see Ignatia. [M. T. M 



STRYPHNODENDRON. A genus of 

 Legnminosce, closely allied to Inga, but 

 distinguished by the following character- 

 istics :— Stamens ten ; pod linear compress- 

 ed, indehiscent leathery, pulpy within, 

 and becoming baccate as it ripens ; seeds 

 numerous, pendulous. These trees are 

 mostly natives of Brazil, and possess as- 

 tringent properties, whence the name of 

 the erenus, from struphnos ' astringent ' and 

 dendron ' a tree.' [M. T. M.J 



STUARTIA. A genus of Ternstriimiacece, 

 consisting of North American shrubs, with 

 membranous serrate leaves, white on the 

 under-surface ; and large white flowers, on 

 solitary or double axillary stalks. The 

 calyx is persistent, divided into five lan- 

 ceolate segments ; petals five, somewhat 

 coherent at the base, crenulate at the 

 margin ; stamens numerous, in many rows, 

 adherent to the petals ; ovary free five- 

 celled, with two ovules in each compart- 

 ment; styles five, distinct or connate; 

 fruit capsular, five-valved ; seeds winged. 

 S. virginica and S. Maluclwdendron are 

 grown in this country; they are somewhat 

 tender, but the beauty of their flowers 

 renders them very desirable inmates of a 

 garden ; they flower in autumn. [M. T. M.] 



STUBWORT. Oxalis acetosella. 



STUPA (adj. STUPPEUS, STUPOSE). 

 Tow ; a tuft of long hairs. 



STURMIA. A terrestrial genus of or- 

 chids, belonging to the Malaxidew, gene- 

 rally included in the genus Liparis, con- 

 sisting of one species, which is found in 

 bogs and wet places in Europe and North 



