70 
Vegetable  Drugs  Used  in  Mexico. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\        Feb.,  1891. 
Lobeliacece. — Lobelia  laxiflora,  De  Candolle,  which  is  abundant  in 
the  valley  of  Mexico,  contains  notable  quantities  of  lobeline,  accord- 
ing to  Torres. 
Magnoliacece. — Talauma  mexicana,  Don,  grows  in  the  state  of 
Morelos,  and  a  second  species,  probably  T.  macrocarpa,  Zuccarini, 
in  Vera  Cruz  and  on  the  mountains  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Both  are 
known  as  yoloxocliitle,  and  the  flowers,  fruit  and  bark  are  employed. 
The  former  are  8  to  io  cm.  long,  white,  or  after  drying,  yellowish- 
brown,  of  an  aromatic  and  astringent  taste,  and  nearly  inodorous, 
but  in  the  fresh  state  of  a  peculiar  aromatic  odor.  The  flowers  of 
the  first-named  species  contain  volatile  oil,  resin,  quercitrin,  tannin, 
etc.  (Gac.  Med.  de  Mex.,  II,  p.  223).  The  seeds  of  the  second 
species  contain  a  fixed  oil  of  a  disagreeable  o  or,  tannin,  coloring 
matter,  and  a  principle,  probably  a  glucoside,  which  dissolves  the 
blood  corpuscles.  The  aqueous  extract  of  the  seeds,  applied  subcu- 
taneously  to  a  frog  in  the  dose  of  o-ooi  gm.,  causes  suspension  of 
the  respiratory  and  cardiac  movements  and  contraction  of  the  lungs, 
killing  the  animal  speedily.  The  bark  is  used  as  an  antiperiodic  ; 
the  tincture  of  the  fresh  petals  as  a  tonic ;  the  infusion  of  the  same 
as  an  antispasmodic ;  and  the  wine  prepared  with  the  anthers  is  a 
remedy  against  epilepsy. 
Malpighiacece. — Malpighia  glabra,  Linn'e,  is  the  nanche  or  nanci  of 
Monterrey,  Vera  Cruz,  Morelos,  etc.  The  nance  bark  of  F.  Holberg 
(Am.  Jour.  Phar.,  1886,  p.  239)  was  very  likely  this  bark,  a  decoc- 
tion of  which  is  employed  for  injection  in  leucorrhcea  and  metror- 
rhagia. The  aromatic  acidulous  fruit  is  used  as  a  refrigerant. 
Several  other  species  of  Malpighia  are  employed  in  different  parts 
of  Mexico  under  the  same  names  and  for  similar  purposes. 
Malvacece. — Hibiscus  esculentus,  Linn'e,  is  cultivated  in  the  hot 
districts  of  Mexico,  and  the  fruit,  which  contains  considerable 
mucilage,  is  used  as  an  aliment,  in  the  preparation  of  pastilles  and 
syrups,  and  in  domestic  practice  as  a  diuretic  and  pectoral. 
Pachira  macrocarpa,  Schlechtendal,  grows  on  river  banks  from 
Yucatan  to  Vera  Cruz,  and  is  known  as  apompo.  The  leaves  and 
flowers  contain  much  mucilage,  and  the  latter  are  employed  for 
their  emollient  properties  in  conjunctivitis.  The  fruit  resembles  the 
mammee  (Lucuma)  in  appearance  and  contains  from  30  to  40 
edible  seeds  which,  according  to  Dr.  Altamirano,  yield  starch  20, 
glucose  1,  tannin  1,  albumin  5  and  fat  25  per  cent.     The  fat  resem- 
