Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ") 
July, 1886.  j 
Useful  Plants  of  Verbenacece. 
335 
of  about  20  inches,  lias  obovate,  crenately  dentate  sessile  leaves,  and 
rather  large  rose-colored  flowers  in  loose  terminal  spikes.  The  inodor- 
ous Verbeua  ciliata,  Bentham,  is  used  in  Mexico  in  the  place  of  hyssop. 
Among  the  North  American  species  the  handsome  blue  flowering 
Verb,  bracteosa,  Michaux,  lias  the  reputation  of  being  useful  in  scro- 
fulous complaints ;  the  homely  blue  vervain,  V.  hastata,  Lin.j  has 
been  employed  in  fevers,  and  in  large  doses  acts  as  an  emetic;  and  the 
coarse-lookin:^  white  vervain,  V.  urticifolia,  Lin.,  is  reputed  to  be 
useful  in  various  complaints,  and  is  employed  as  a  topical  application 
in  poisoning  by  Rhus  Toxicodendron. 
In  some  of  the  West  Indian  islands  and  in  Central  America  Stachy- 
tarpha  (Verbena,  Lin.)  jamaicensis,  Vahl,  is  known  as  verbena,  from 
which  genus  it  differs  mainly  by  its  four-toothed  calyx,  by  two  barren 
and  two  fertile  stamens,  and  by  the  two  parted  fruit.  The  plant  is 
somewhat  woody,  2  or  3  feet  high,  has  elliptic  or  ovate  sharply  serrate 
leaves,  and  produces  slender  spikes  of  small  blue  flowers  sunk  in 
furrows  of  the  thickened  rhachis.  Like  other  allied  plants,  it  is  popu- 
larly used  in  a  variety  of  diseases,  but  seems  to  be  most  useful  as  a 
diaphoretic  and  tonic.  It  is  likewise  used  in  Brazil,  and,  with  one  or 
two  allied  species,  is  known  there  Rsjarbno  and  urgevdo. 
The  above  notes  show  that  the  plants  of  the  natural  order  of  Ver- 
benacese  possess  tonir:  and  stimulant  properties,  and  that  those  growing 
in  tropical  or  subtropical  countries  are  frequently  aromatic,  and  some 
of  them  acrid.  Considering  the  fact  that  the  species  of  the  temperate 
climates  are  destitute,  or  nearly  so,  of  aromatic  properties,  and  contain 
bitter  and  astringent  principles  only  to  a  limited  extent,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  they  are  apparently  not  possessed  of  any  decided  medici- 
nal virtues,  and  that  they  have  received  but  little  attention  from  the 
pharmacist  and  still  less  from  the  chemist;  but  it  is  likely  that  many 
of  those  growing  in  warmer  climates  may  open  an  interesting  field  for 
chemical  research  on  the  nature  of  their  volatile  oils,  their  bitter  or 
acrid  principles,  their  tannins,  and  possibly  other  constituents. 
Pilocarpus  in  Urticaria.— Obstinate  urticaria  is  reported  by  M. 
Guineau  de  Mussy  to  be  cured  by  IJ  pulv.  pilocarpi,  ext.  guaiaci  a  a  gr.  2, 
lithii  benzoatis  gr.  3,  m.  ft.  i^il.  Two  pills,  gradually  increased  to  four 
pills,  are  administered  daily,  eoinbiiied  with  sulphur  baths. — Pacif.  Med. 
and  Surg.  Jour.^  April,  1885. 
