Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. ) 
July, 1881.  j 
Gleanings  in  Materia  3Iedica. 
335 
Erythrina  corallodendron,  Lin.,  a  medium  sized  spiny  leguminous 
tree  of  tropical  America,  is  employed  in  asthma  and  cutaneous  diseases 
as  a  mild  laxative,  diuretic,  etc. ;  the  bark  and  leaves,  also  the  flowers 
are  used.  In  Brazil  the  tree  is  known  as  "  mulungu."  Kochefontaine 
(^^Compt.  Rend./'  xciii,  p.  733)  obtained  some  reactions  rendering  the 
presence  of  an  alkaloid  probable,  for  which  the  inappropriate  name 
erythrina  is  suggested;  the  aqueous  extract  employed  hypodermically 
was  found  to  decrease  the  functions  of  the  central  nervous  system,  and 
the  bark  seems  to  possess  sedative  properties. 
Poisonous  Staranise  has  been  observed  in  various  parts  of  Europe. 
It  is  derived  from  Illicium  religiosum,  Siebold,  which  by  most  botan- 
ists has  b^en  regarded  as  identical  with  ///.  anisatuw.,  Lour.  The 
latter  is  a  native  of  the  high  mountains  of  Yunnan  in  southwestern 
China  and  to  the  west  of  Canton.  The  former  was  introduced  into 
Japan  from  China  or  the  Corea  in  ancient  times  by  the  Buddhist 
priests  and  planted  around  the  Japanese  temples,  being  used  when  in 
blossom  for  adorning  the  altars  and  tombs.  In  Japan  it  is  known  as 
somo,  skiini  or  fauna  skiml  and  in  China  as  ao-woo-soo,  while  111.  ani- 
satum  is  kwai  hiang.  The  fruit  of  111.  religiosum,  which  is  not  used 
in  Japan,  is  described  by  E.  M.  Holmes  as  being  about  one-third  less 
in  diameter  than  the  Chinese  drug ;  the  number  of  carpels  is  8  and  a 
few  only  are  generally  developed  to  maturity.  The  curve  or  depres- 
sion of  the  ventral  suture  near  the  apex  is  deeper  and  shorter,  and 
hence  the  very  short  beak  appears  more  erect  than  in  the  Chinese 
drug,  Neither  the  pericarp  nor  seed  has  any  taste  of  anise,  but  pos- 
sesses a  very  faint  taste  and  odor  like  the  oil  of  Laums  nobilis,  or 
distantly  resembling  the  odor  of  cubebs.  The  seeds  vary  in  thickness 
according  to  the  degree  of  ripeness.  The  fruit  when  wetted  and  laid 
on  a  piece  of  blue  paper  reddens  it  immediately  and  strongly,  while 
Chinese  staranise  causes  only  a  very  faint  red  coloration,  and  the 
fruits  of  I.  Griffithii  and  I.  majus  produce  no  such  reaction. 
From  Holmes'  description  of  the  fruits  of  other  species,  the  fol- 
lowing is  extracted : 
111.  parviflorum,  Mich.,  indigenous  to  Georgia  and  Carolina  ;  car2)els 
8  ;  short-beaked  ;  taste  resembles  sassafras. 
III.  floridanum,  Ellis,  indigenous  to  the  coast  of  Florida ;  carpels 
13  ;  taste  like  anise.  In  Alabama  the  leaves  are  reputed  to  be  poi- 
sonous, and  the  plant  has  hence  acquired  tlie  name  of  j^oison  bay. 
GriJ/ithii,  Hook  fil.  et  Thoms.,  native  of  East  Bengal ;  carpels 
