44 SCAMMONY. 
efficacious as a remedy against agues, and in scorbutic 
and scrofulous diseases, rheumatisms, and dropsy. 
There is an opinion that sheep, when compelled to eat 
of buck-bean, are cured of the rot. In Lapland it is 
said that the pounded roots, though very unpalatable, 
are sometimes converted into bread. 
CO. SCAMMONY is a concrete or dried juice obtained 
from the roots of a climbing plant of the convolvulus tribe 
(Convolvulus scammonia, Fig. 7,) which is cultivated in Asia- 
tic Turkey, Syria, and Persia. 
This plant is known by having arrow-shaped leaves, notched 
in a particular manner at the base, and each flozcer-stalk 
bearing two or three large and somewhat purplish white 
Jlowers. 
The roots of the scammony plant are thick, black on 
the surface, white within, and full of an acrid milky 
juice, which, in a concrete state, is frequently used in 
medicine. To obtain it, the earth, at- a certain season 
of the year, is removed from the upper part of the roots 
whilst they are growing, and the tops are cut obliquely. 
The juice flows from the wound into a small vessel 
sunk into the earth, at the lower end of the gash, to 
receive it. But, as each root furnishes only a very 
small quantity, the produce of several roots is usually 
mixed together for the greater convenience of being 
exposed to the sun and dried. Still, however, the 
quantity, thus obtained, is sometimes insufficient to sup- 
ply the demand. In this case an addition is made to 
it by the pressure of juice from the leaves and stalks. 
The best scammony is imported from Aleppo, in 
light, spongy, friable pieces, of shining blackish grey 
colour, which have a faint, unpleasant smell, and a 
bitterish, pungent taste. It is sometimes adulterated 
with flour, and sometimes even with sand or earth. 
In its medical effects, scammony, when administered 
alone, is an efficacious, though violent purgative. But 
if triturated or ground down with sugar, almonds, or 
gum-arabic, its operation becomes sufficiently mild and 
safe. 
