IRIS FLORENTINA. 161 
Sensible and Chemical Properties. Violets have a 
tolerably powerful odour, which to most persons is extremely fragrant; 
their taste is slightly bitter ; these qualities, and also their colour, 
they impart to boiling- water. From the analysis of M. Boullay, 
violets contain an alkaline principle of considerable activity, and, 
from the experiments of Orfila, even powerfully poisonous ; this 
principle resides in every part .of the plant, but more particularly in 
the roots ; it is acrid and bitter, and excites vomiting in small 
quantities.* M. Boullay proposes it should be named Violine, 
indigenous emetine, or emetine of the violet. It is procured in the 
same manner as emetine from ipecacuanha, for which process we 
refer our readers to that article. 
Medical Properties and Uses. The officinal part of the 
violet, ie, the flowers, contains but very slight medicinal properties, 
their eff'ects being gently aperient; as such, the syrup is sometimes 
prescribed for young children, either alone or in combination with oil 
of almonds. The flowers of violets are chiefly valued as a delicate 
test for detecting the presence of uncorabined acids and alkalies, 
the former of which, change the watery infusion or syrup, (which is 
blue) to red, and the latter to green. 
Off. The Flowers. 
Oft'. Pp. Syrupus Violae, E. D. 
— 
IRIS FLORENTINA. 
Florentine Iris.'\ 
Class Triandria. —OrJer Monogynia. 
Nat. Ord. Ensat^, Linn. Irides, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Calyx 0. Corolla 6-parted ; alternate petals, 
reflected. Germen oblong beneath the receptacle. Stigma 
large and*petai-like. Capsule oblong, 3-celled, 3-valved. 
Spec. Char. Corolla bearded. Leaves s word-shaped, smooth, 
and shorter than the scape, which is mostly two-flowered. 
* The roots of most species of the violet are possessed of emetic properties, and arft 
sold and substituted for those of Ipecacuanha. Ed. 
t Fig. a. The pistillura. b. A stamen, c. The anther. 
