GRATIOLA OFFICINALIS.— HEDGE-HYSSOP. 
Class II. DIANDRIA. — Order II. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order SCROPHULARINEJ5. — THE FIGWORT TRIBE. 
Fig. '«) represents a flower, spread to show the two fertile and two abortive stamens; (6) the pistil; (c) the capsule; 
(d) a section of ditto ; (e) a seed. 
This plant, the Gratiola of the Dispensatories, derives its generic appellation from the diminutive of gratia, 
grace or favour ; and the epithet gratia Dei, by which it was formerly distinguished, is sufficiently expressive 
of the high estimation in which it was held by the ancients for its salutary qualities. It is a low perennial, 
not indigenous to this country, a native of the south of Europe, growing in most pastures and flowering in 
June and July. 
Haller observes that, about Yverdun it is frequently found in such abundance as to be very injurious to 
the cattle, and that many meadows in the environs are rendered quite useless as pasture grounds from the 
excessive prevalence of this plant. 
From a cylindrical, white, creeping, jointed rhizoma, rise several slender, smooth, round, erect stems, to 
the height of a foot or eighteen inches. The leaves are numerous, lanceolate, opposite, sessile, pointed, ser- 
rated towards the ends, of a bright green colour, two inches long, nearly half an inch broad, and obscurely 
punctured. The flowers are inodorous, about an inch long, axillary and solitary ; the calyx consists of five 
elliptical pointed segments, with a pair of lanceolate spreading bracteas ; the corolla is tubular, divided at 
the lip into four obtuse segments, the uppermost of which is broadest, emarginate and reflexed, the others 
straight and equal ; the tube is yellowish, with reddish streaks ; the limb pale lilac or purple. The filaments 
are four, awl-shaped, shorter than the corolla, only two of which are furnished with anthers ; the two perfect 
ones are shorter than the others, and are inserted at the base of the uppermost segment, about the middle of 
the tube of the corolla : the germen is ovate, superior, supporting a slender erect style, with a divided 
stigma. The capsule is ovate, bilocular, and contains numerous small seeds. 
Qualities and Chemical Properties. — It is inodorous, but impregnated with a bitter nauseous 
taste, which it is said sometimes produces a sense of constriction in the tongue. Marcgraaf states that its 
watery extract is bitter, but that the bitter principle exists most abundantly in the resinous extract. 
Vauquelin has analyzed it, and obtained a bitter, active, uncry stallizable, resinous principle, which is soluble 
in alcohol, and requires a very large quantity of boiling water to dissolve it. “ When sulphuric acid is added 
to the unstrained infusion, it emits the odour of tamarinds ; and when the infusion is filtered and slowly 
evaporated, spicular crystals are formed, which appear to be tartaric acid.” 
From a paper read some time since by Dr. Whiting, at a meeting of the Medico-botanical Society of 
London, it appears that Yeratria, the active principle of Colchicum, and white Hellebore, has been most 
unexpectedly discovered in Gratiola. This will readily account for its violent effects when given in over 
doses. It is a curious coincidence that the Eau Medicinale which was made from the Gratiola, should have 
been imitated by spirituous infusions of Colchicum and Veratrum, both containing the same active principle, 
and that the modern Vinum Colchici should have superseded this old Vinum Gratiolae, formerly esteemed a 
specific in gout. 
Poisonous Effects. — Given in over doses, it produces violent vomiting and hypercatharsis. 
“At a quarter past ten, three drachms and a half of watery extract of Hedge-Hyssop were introduced 
into the stomach of a small strong dog, and the oesophagus was tied. At eight in the evening the animal 
had not exhibited any remarkable phenomenon. The next day at ten in the morning he uttered plaintive 
cries ; he was lying down on the side, and expired an hour after : his breathing had not been impeded. The 
mucous membrane of the stomach exhibited throughout its whole extent, a cherry-red colour ; it was black 
wherever it forms the folds observed in the interior of this viscus ; it was easy to be assured that this last 
alteration was the consequence of a certain quantity of black extravasated blood, within the space which 
separates it from the subjacent muscular coat. This last was nearly in its natural state ; the interior of the 
rectum was evidently inflamed ; all the remaining portion of the alimentary canal was a little red. The 
lungs did not appear affected ; there was no serosity in the ventricles of the brain ; the exterior cerebral veins 
were distended with black blood. The pia mater was injected and of a vermillion red colour. 
“ Twenty-eight grains of the same poisonous substance, dissolved in four drachms of water, were in- 
jected into the jugular vein of another robust dog of middle size. An hour after the animal had a motion • 
he experienced some giddiness, and became as it were insensible, lay down and expired two hours after the 
injection. It was impossible to discover the least trace of alteration in the texture of the digestive canal.” 
