74 
Vegetable  Drugs  Used  in  Mexico. 
f Am.  Jour.  Fharm. 
t       Feb.,  1891. 
ous  parts  of  Mexico,  is  regarded  as  possessing  lithontriptic  and 
diuretic  properties,  the  root  being  used  under  the  name  of  munditos. 
Scrophulariacece . — Castilleja  canescens,  Bentham,  grows  in  the 
Sierra  Madre,  in  Northern  and  Central  Mexico,  the  popular  name 
being  cola  de  borrego.  It  has  the  leaves  entire,  linear-lanceolate, 
semi-amplexicaul,  the  floral  ones  broader  and  acute,  and  the  upper 
ones  somewhat  colored  at  the  apex  ;  calyx  tubular,  compressed,  cleft 
on  one  side ;  corolla  bilabiate,  the  upper  lip  galeate,  the  lower  lip 
with  three  short  teeth ;  inodorous  ;  taste  bitter  and  aromatic.  Prof. 
Luna  found  in  the  plant  volatile  oil,  bitter  principle,  etc.  The  drug 
augments  the  salivary  and  urinary  secretions,  and  has  been  used  by 
Dr.  Galindo  as  a  stimulant  in  hepatic  colics.  Dose,  4  gm.,  in  infu- 
sion, with  120  gm.  of  water. 
SterculiacecB. — Guazuma  ulmifolia,  Lamarck,  and  several  other 
species  of  the  same  genus  growing  in  Southern  Mexico,  have  a 
mucilaginous  bark  which  is  employed  as  an  emollient  and  for  the 
clarification  of  sugar.  The  fruit  is  capsular,  almost  globose,  or 
ovoid,  blackish-gray,  with  numerous  acute  tubercles  and  irregular 
crevices  upon  the  surface  ;  the  five  cells  contain  angular  gray  seeds 
having  a  coriaceous  and  dotted  testa.  The  fruit  is  used  as  an  emol- 
lient and  astringent. 
Solanacece. — Nicandra  physaloides,  Gcertner,  grows  in  the  valley 
of  Mexico,  and  is  known  as  belladona  del  pais.  The  leaves  are 
petiolate,  oval-lanceolate,  acute,  wedge-shaped  at  the  base,  sinuate- 
dentate,  ciliate,  somewhat  hairy,  and  without  the  whitish  dots 
observed  upon  belladonna  leaves.  The  leaves  are  reputed  to  possess 
the  same  properties  as  belladonna  leaves,  but  no  exact  observations 
on  this  point  have  been  recorded.  Professor  Perez  announced  the 
presence  of  an  alkaloid,  the  nature  of  which  has  not  yet  been  deter- 
mined.   See  also  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1889,  p.  554. 
Physalis  Costomatl,  Mocino  et  Sesse.  The  root  is  diuretic,  and  is 
used  against  diarrhoea  and  for  suppressing  the  secretion  of  milk. 
Ternstrcemiacece. — Ternstrcemia  Altamirania,  Schiede;  T.  sylvatica, 
Schlecht.  (See  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1886,  p.  169).  Leaves  elliptic, 
entire,  glabrous,  glossy,  ribs  prominent,  the  ultimate  divisions  form- 
ing a  network  of  fine  meshes;  inodorous;  taste  slightly  bitter. 
Guevara  (Thesis,  1881)  ascertained  the  presence  of  coloring  princi- 
ples, resin,  tannin,  gum,  glucose,  and,  probably,  theine.  The  leaves 
of  T.  Tepezapote,  Schlccht.,  of  Mazatlan  are  used  in  like  manner  for 
baths  against  rheumatism. 
