Opuntia  Vulgaris,  Mill. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       April,  1896. 
Of  the  numerous  species  of  these  plants,  which  have  been  more 
or  less  medicinally  employed,  Cactus  (Cereus,  Miller,)  grandiflorus, 
Linne,  has,  of  late  years,  attracted  most  attention  from  the  medical 
profession,  on  account  of  its  reputed  effect  in  cases  of  functional  pal- 
pitation of  the  heart,  and  in  other  cardiac  disorders. 
Other  species  are  well  known  as  the  plants  on  which  the  cochi- 
neal insect  feeds.  But  while  of  lesser  importance  in  this  respect, 
still  Opuntia  vulgaris  shares  the  utility  which  the  genus  thus  con- 
tributes. Hence,  it  is  cultivated  to  some  extent  for  economic  pur- 
poses, and,  like  the  other  members  of  the  family,  quite  frequently 
for  ornamental  uses. 
The  wild  plant  prefers  sandy  fields  and  dry  rocks.  It  is  prostrate 
or  spreading.  The  branches  or  joints  of  the  stem  are  light  green, 
broadly  obovate,  about  twice  as  long  as  wide,  fleshy,  varying  from 
about  one- fourth  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  have 
minute,  appressed,  subulate,  usually  deciduous  leaves  arranged  in  a 
spiral  order,  with  clusters  of  greenish-yellow  bristles  and  spines 
(which  are  modified  leaves)  also  in  their  axils.  The  buds,  which 
appear  upon  the  surface  of  the  branches,  have  a  resemblance  to  warts, 
and  from  their  location  project  the  greenish-yellow  bristles,  which 
are  composed  of  numerous  rigid,  fusiform  cells,  wedged  in  among 
themselves  at  one  extremity.  The  free  ends  of  these  cells  are  very 
hard,  pointed  and  retrorse ;  and  on  account  of  these  properties  and 
the  wedged  position,  the  bristles  have  such  a  decidedly  barbed  char- 
acter that  when  their  points  have  pierced  the  cuticle  they  are  firmly 
held.  This  objectionable  feature  is,  of  course,  increased  by  the 
presence  of  the  spines,  and  is  the  source  of  so  much  annoyance  in 
the  handling  of  the  plant  that  it  has  been  called  devil's  tongue. 
The  flower  is  pale  yellow,  about  two  inches  broad,  and  usually  has 
eight  petals.  The  fruit  of  the  order  Cactaceae,  is  a  one-celled,  many- 
seeded  berry.  In  the  case  of  Opuntia  vulgaris,  the  fleshy  fruit  has 
somewhat  the  shape  of  a  pear  or  fig,  the  joint  consideration  of  which 
fact  and  of  its  palatable  quality  in  the  ripened  state,  no  doubt,  gave 
rise  to  the  popular  names  prickly  pear  and  Indian  fig.  At  first  it 
has  the  color  of  the  stem,  and,  like  it,  is  bristly,  bearing  about  a 
dozen  clusters  of  the  minute  bristles.  These  persist  during  the 
process  of  ripening,  after  which  process  the  fruit  is  otherwise 
smooth,  has  a  thick  rind  of  waxy  appearance,  and  a  crimson  or 
yellowish-purple  color  externally.    It  is  about  two  inches  long  and 
