6 
ing to De Candolle, been discovered in New Holland. They characterise a 
cold damp climate, and are, when met with in the Tropics, found inhabiting 
the sides and summits of lofty mountains : in the lowland of hot countries they 
are almost unknown. 
Properties. Acridity, causticity, and poison, are the general characters 
of this suspicious order, which, however, contains species in which those 
qualities are so little developed as to be innoxious. The caustic principle is, 
according to Krapfen* as cited by De Candolle, of a very singular nature ; it is 
so volatile that, in most cases, simple drying, infusion in water, or boiling, are 
sufficient to dissipate it : it is neither acid nor alkaline : it is increased by acids, 
sugar, honey, wine, spirit, &c. and is only effectually destroyed by water and 
vegetable acids. The leaves of Knowltonia vesicatoria are used as vesicatories 
in Southern Africa. Ranunculus glacialis is a poweiffil sudorific ; Aconitum 
Napellus and Cammarum are diuretic. The Hepatica, Actsea racemosa, and 
Delphinium consolida, are regarded as simple astringents. DC. The roots of 
several Hellebores are drastic purgatives ; those of the perennial Adonises are, 
according to Pallas, emmenagogues ; and those of several Aconitums, especially 
Napellus and Cammarum, are acrid in a high degree. Ibid. The root of the 
Aconitum of India, one of the substances called Bikh, or Bish, is a most 
virulent poison. Trans. Med. and Phil. Soc. Calc. 2. 407. According to 
Hamilton, the Bishma, or Bikhma, is a strong bitter, very powerful in the 
cm*e of fevers : the Bish, Bikh, or Kodoya Bikh, has a root possessing poi- 
sonous properties of the most dreadful kind, whether taken into the stomach, 
or applied to wounds : the Nir Bishi, or Nirbikhi, has no deleterious properties, 
but is used in medicine. Brewster, 1. 2.50. For some important informa- 
tion on this Bffih, Vish, Visha, or Ativisha, which WaUich considers his 
Aconitum ferox, see Plant. As. Rar. vol. 1. p. 33. tab. 41., and especially 
Royle’ s Illustrations, 40. The root of Pseony is acrid and bitter, but is said to 
possess antispasmodic properties. Ranunculus flammula and sceleratus are 
powerful epispastics, and are used as such in the Hebrides, producing a blister 
in about an hour and a half. Their action is, however, too violent, and the 
blisters are difficult to heal, being apt to pass into irritable ulcers. Ed. Ph. J. 
6. 156. Beggars use them for the pui-pose of forming artificial ulcers, and also 
the leaves of Clematis recta and flammula. The root of Ranunculus Thora is 
reported to be extremely acrid and poisonous, its juice having been formerly 
used by the Swiss hunters of wild beasts to envenom their darts, whose wound 
by that means became speedily fatal and incurable. Smith in Rees. From the 
seeds of Delphinium staphysagria, the chemical principle called Delphine was pro- 
cured by Lassaigne and Fenuelle ; it exists in union with oxalic acid. Ed. 
Ph. J. 3. 305. The root of Hydrastis canadensis has a strong and somewhat 
narcotic smell, and is exceedingly bitter ; it is used in North America as a tonic, 
under the name of Yellow root. Barton, 2. 21. Tlie root of Coptis trifolia, 
or Gold-thread, is a pure and powerful bitter, devoid of any thing like 
astringency ; it is a popular remedy in the United States for aphthous affec- 
tions of the mouth in children. Ibid. 2. 100. The wood and bark of Xanthor- 
hiza apiifolia are a very pure tonic bitter. The shrub contains both a gum and 
resin, each of v/hich is intensely bitter. Ibid. 2. 205. The seeds of NigeUa 
sativa were formerly employed instead of pepper; those of Delphinium 
Staphisagria are vermifugal and caustic ; those of Aquilegia are simply 
tonic. DC. 
GENERA. 
§ 1. CLEMATiDEai, DC. Naravelia, DC. Tetractis. 
Clematis, L. § 2. Anemone^e, DC. Anemone, L. 
Atragma, L. Thaiictrum, L. Pulsatiiia, Bauh 
Hepatica, Dill. 
Hydrastis, L. 
Wamf^ria, Mill. 
