SUBSTITUTE FOR IPECACUANHA— ANTIDOTE FOR SNAKE-BITE. 431 
Cappartde^, 
A large and almost exclusively tropical 
order, a few species only being found in tem- 
perate zones, while they every where abound 
within the tropics : it is divided into two 
sections ; the Cleomecs, or genera with her- 
baceous stems and capsular fruit, and the 
Capparece, The next but small order our 
author notices is, 
Flacourtiane^ ; 
Most of the species of which are tropical : 
its essential character is that it has a one- 
celled ovary with parietal placenta. The 
flowers vary considerably in different genera, 
nearly one half of which have flowers without 
petals; some are dioicous, or monoicous, 
while Phoberos and others have them bi- 
sexual. Inhabit, they are all trees or shrubs, 
many of them armed with large strong 
thorns. Hydnocarpus\iediv& a fruit poisonous 
to fishes, on eating which they become unfit 
for food. The next is a large but principally 
extra-tropical order : 
VlOLARIE^. 
The species of lonidium, of which Dr. 
Wight found at Courtallum, are very widely 
distributed over India. They are used as 
a substitute for ipecacuanha. 
The next order is, 
POLYGALE^. 
In a botanical point of view our author 
considers this order interesting, as affording 
a good example of unsymmetrical flowers. 
The normal, or regular, form of a flower is 
to have 5 sepals, 5 petals, and 5, 10, 15, &c. 
stamens, or the sepals, petals, and stamens, 
regular multiples of each other. In place of 
^his arrangement in Poly gala is found a calyx 
of five sepals, the two lateral ones petaloid, 
and much larger than the other three (usually 
called aloe or wings in the generic cha- 
racter) ; a corolla of three petals, the 
claws of which are usually united at the 
base, forming a single tubular three cleft 
petal, the middle lobe of which is frequent- 
ly furnished with a crest ; and eight stamens 
united into two bundles. Xanthophyllum, 
except the stamens, returns to the normal 
form, having five sepals and five distinct 
petals, but only eight stamens, six of which 
are opposed to the petals, in place of having 
ten, the normal number, opposed alternate- 
ly to the sepals and petals. The roots of 
several are said to be antidotes to snake 
bite. Xanthophyllum virens is a large timber 
tree, remarkably hard and useful. The next 
orders mentioned are, 
Elaline^,Caryophylle^,&Malvace^ 
The last is a large and an important order ; 
from the number and variety of products 
useful to mankind ; as food, clothing, and 
medicine. Its species are found widely distri- 
buted over the tropical and temperate zones, 
but disappear as we approach the frigid. The 
uniform character is to abound in mucilage, 
and to be destitute of unwholesome qualities. 
The medicinal qualities of marsh mallows are 
known to everyone: the Hibiscus suhdariffa 
is prized as a tart fruit. The Thespe- 
sia Hibiscus populnea affords an excellent 
close-grained wood for cart-wheels and gun- 
stocks. Among the herbaceous Malvaceoe, 
many species produce fine fibres of great 
tenacity, well fitted, if more care was bes- 
towed on their preparation, to be employed 
as substitutes for flax and hemp. The Hibis^ 
cus cannabinus is more cultivated for the 
hemp-like fibres of its bark than as a pot- 
herb. The great benefits derived from this 
shrub need not be enlarged upon. The great 
demand for cotton, and the millionsto whom 
its culture affords a livelihood by its fabri- 
cation into cloth, are well known. This 
Dr. Wight relates as being applicable 
to cotton as well as to sugar. He says that 
the cotton manufacture originated in 
India upwards of three thousand years 
ago : from that time to the beginning of the 
present century she may almost be said 
to have held the monopoly of this branch 
of industry ; so far as muslins and the finer 
sorts of cotton fabric are concerned. Our 
author’s views, as regards the improvements 
introduced by machinery, are worthy of 
being noticed, as well as his remarks on the 
CULTIVATION AND TRADE IN * 
COTTON. 
“ The Hindoo weaver, skilful, from long 
practice, in the use of his simple implements 
and having no competitors, did not think it 
necessary to tax his ingenuity, for the inven- 
tion of new and improved spinning and weay.. 
ing machinery, but went on, as his progeni- 
tors had done, spinning and weaving, with a 
wheel and loom still of the simplest construc- 
tion. 
