320 
THE KOSSO, OR BRAYERA ANTHELMINTIC A. 
larger than those of the inner row, and are placed somewhat 
below them ; the petals are entirely wanting ; the stamina 
are rudimentary and sterile. 
The ripe fruits are unknown. The tree grows in Tigre, 
Agame, and Shoa, and is cultivated everywhere. Dr. Beke 
writes that the tree is " found throughout the entire table-land 
of north eastern Abyssinia, but appears to require an eleva- 
tion of upwards of six thousand (perhaps seven thousand) 
feet for its growth. Where I found it most luxuriant, was 
in the vicinity of the source of the river Abai, (Bruce's Nile) 
at an elevation of close upon nine thousand feet. Tigre, the 
northern portion of Abyssinia, being, upon the whole, of 
lower elevation than the rest of that country, the tree is only 
found there in a few places." 
Bruce gave a very good popular account of kosso, accom- 
panied by what he justly terms a " true and exact" figure 
of the plant. I have compared his plant with a specimen of 
the plant collected in Abyssinia by Schimper, and contained 
in the herbarium of my friend Mr. N. B. Ward, and with 
the commercial flowers, and find that they are fair repre- 
sentations of the plant. 
Bruce states that the Abyssinians evacuate once a month 
" a large quantity of worms ; these are not the tape worm, 
or those that trouble children, but they are a sort of worm 
called ascarides." Other travellers tell us that the worms 
with which the Abyssinians are troubled, and for which they 
employ the kosso, is the tape worm. The accuracy of this 
latter statement has been tested by Dr. Hodgkin, who admin- 
istered oil of turpentine to an Abyssinian in the service of 
Dr. Beke, and thereby expelled a Tenia solium, the same kind 
of tape worm found in England and at the Cape of Good 
Hope. 
Mr. Johnston states that the kosso is gathered for medici- 
nal purposes before the seeds are quite ripe, whilst still a 
number of florets yet remain unchanged. The bunches are 
suspended in the sun to dry, and if not required for immedi- 
ate use, are deposited in a jar. 
