234    Materia  Medica  of  the  Mexican  Pharmacopoeia.         May ""igs 
as  an  antidote  to  Manihot  sesculifolia,  Pohl.  From  the  seeds  the  dye 
stuff  annato,  achiote,  is  prepared,  which  is  regarded  as  an  antidysen- 
teric.    But  the  plant  and  its  products  are  rarely  used  by  physicians. 
Adormideras,  Papaver  soniniferum,  Lin.,  nat.  ord.  Papaveracese ; 
the  capsules  are  used. 
Agallas  de  Lavante,  nutgalls.  Under  the  name  of  horregos  de  encina 
the  lanuginous  galls  of  the  evergreen  Mexican  oaks  are  popularly  used 
as  haemostatics;  they  are  produced  by  the  sting  of  Cynips  Quercus 
baccarum. 
Agarico  bianco,  white  agaric;  used  as  a  drastic  and  against  profuse 
sweating  of  consumptives. 
Agarico  yesca,  spunk ;  used  surgically.  Boletus  igniarius  is  stated 
to  be  more  commonly  used  in  Mexico  than  B.  fomentarius. 
Agrimonia  Eupatoria,  Lin.,  nat.  ord.  Rosace?e;  oui' agrimony,  grows 
also  in  Mexico.  It  is  used  as  a  mild  astringent  in  the  form  of  infusion 
or  decoction  in  the  proportion  of  20  :  1000. 
Aguacate,  Persea  gratissima,  Gcertner,  nat.  ord.  Lauracese,  grows  in 
the  temperate  and  warm  regions  of  Mexico,  producing  the  varieties 
vulgaris,  oblongo,  microphyllaand  Schiedeana.  The  pulp  of  the  fruit 
was  found  by  Betancourt  to  contain  various  fats,  chlorophyll,  malic  and 
acetic  acids,  various  salts,  glucose,  gum  and  starch.  The  seeds  contain 
yellow  volatile  oil,  mannit,  green  bitter  resin,  starch,  little  tannin,  fat, 
gum,  etc.  Betancourt  found  also  amygdalin  and  synaptase,  yielding 
hydrocyanic  acid,  and  in  the  epicarpsoft  acid  resin,  aromatic  principle, 
tamiin,  etc.  The  leaves  and  fruit  have  the  reputation  of  being  emmen- 
agogue,  and  according  to  Hernandez,  are  believed  by  the  vulgar  to 
increase  the  spermatic  secretion  and  to  be  useful  in  suppurating  wounds 
and  sores.  A  decoction  of  the  leaves  like  the  powdered  bark  is  em- 
ployed as  an  antiperiodic.  The  pericarp  enjoys  considerable  reputation 
as  a  vermifuge  in  the  dose  of  Gm.  8  to  10,  taken  fresh,  or  Gm.  4  to  6 
in  the  dry  state;  this  property  probably  resides  in  the  resin.  The 
mesocarp  is  edible  and  the  juice  of  the  seed  is  used  as  an  indelible  ink 
for  clothes.    The  fruit  is  known  in  the  West  Indies  as  alligator  pear. 
Other  species  indigenous  to  Mexico  are  Persea  drymifolia,  Schiede, 
known  as  aguacate  olorosa,  P.  amplexicaulis,  Sch.,  P.  pachipoda, 
Ehrenb.,  known  as  aguacate  cimarron,  P.  Ligue,  Sch.,  and  P.  buty- 
racea,  Sch.,  known  as  pagua. 
Aguamiel,  the  juice  of  different  species  and  varieties  of  Agave  is 
yellowish  or  whitish,  mucilaginous,  frothy,  acidulous  and  sweet,  of  an 
