174 Loganiaceae. 
flat, disc-shaped seeds. The seeds, from which is produced the 
strychnine of commerce, yield also a dye used for producing light 
brown shades on cotton. 
Nux-vomica entered into European medicine about the middle of 
the sixteenth century and was first accurately described by Valerius 
Cordus. About 1640 it was used chiefly for poisoning cats, dogs, 
crows and ravens, and has only been employed medicinally, as a nerve 
tonic, since the beginning of the nineteenth century. The alkaloid 
strychnine is extracted from the seeds mainly, but this substance seems 
to exist also in the wood and root of the tree, and even plants grow- 
ing parasitically on it absorb and contain these same alkaloid pro'M r- 
ties, mainly in their leaves. The strychnine preparations are mainly 
used in nervous disorders as a tonic and stimulant, for example, in 
phthysis as a respiratory stimulant and in chronic constipation from 
weakness of the bowels. 
The gathered seeds are freed of the pulp, washed and dried and 
are then ready for export. The seeds contain two alkaloids — strych- 
nine and brucine — whose characters are amply described in works 
on materia medica. 
The pulp of the fruit, though also containing strychnine, is eagerly 
devoured by birds without apparent harm. In the Nilgherry hills in 
India the native tribes use the seeds as a fish poison. 
The wood is brownish-gray, rather hard and close grained, but 
splits in seasoning; in Burmah it is used for carts and agricultural 
implements as well as for cabinet work. 
In Honolulu there are only a very few trees, one in the Govern- 
ment Nursery grounds and a few in Mrs. Foster's premises on 
Nuuanu Avenue, planted by Dr. W. Hillebrand, evidently in the 
early seventies if not earlier. They bear an abundance of fruit in 
the month of March. 
