ON  ANEMONE  LUDOVICTANA. 
301 
many  chronic  diseases  of  the  eye,  particularly  cataract,  amauro- 
sis and  opacity  of  the  cornea.  Very  decided  advantage  was 
also  experienced  from  its  employment  in  cutaneous  eruptions, 
and  in  secondary  syphilis.  These  results,  in  conjunction  with 
the  investigation  of  its  chemical  constituents,  are  believed  to  be 
sufficient  to  warrant  the  substitution  of  this  indigenous  plant 
for  the  European  Anemone  pulsatilla,  which,  though  not 
often  administered  by  regular  practitioners,  is  very  frequently 
resorted  to  by  the  Homoeopathists. 
A  tea  of  the  dried  flowers  and  herb  was  sometimes  employed, 
as  well  as  the  juice  of  the  fresh  plant  bruised  and  expressed, 
and  then  either  preserved  by  the  addition  of  one- fourth  of  its  bulk 
of  alcohol,  or  evaporated  to  the  consistence  of  an  extract.  In 
preparing  the  latter,  the  presence  of  some  volatile  acrid  princi- 
ple was  clearly  manifested  by  the  highly  irritating  vapors  ari- 
sing from  the  juice  on  the  application  of  a  gentle  heat,  produ- 
cing a  very  painful  impression  on  the  eyes  of  the  operator. 
That  this  volatile  substance  is  also  dissipated  by  drying  is  proved 
by  the  taste  of  the  dry  flowers,  which  is  simply  sweetish  and 
herbaceous,  that  of  the  leaves  being  more  astringent  with  very 
slight  acrimony,  while  in  the  recent  state  both  are  exceedingly 
irritating  and  acrid.  The  odor  of  the  dried  plant  is  rather 
faint,  being  very  slightly  camphoraceous. 
As  the  preserved  juice  had  not  been  subjected  to  the  deteri- 
orating influence  of  evaporation,  it  was  supposed  to  contain  the 
greatest  amount  of  active  principle.  It  was  therefore  most 
frequently  administered,  and  the  most  marked  effects  of  the 
drug  were  observed  to  follow  from  its  use. 
A  portion  of  this,  which  had  been  prepared  during  the  pre- 
vious year,  was  first  examined  in  lieu  of  the  fresh  plant,  which 
it  was  not  possible  to  obtain  in  the  vicinity  of  this  city.  By 
standing,  the  juice  had  been  separated  into  a  clear,  dark  brown 
liquid,  and  an  earth-like  deposit,  occupying  about  J  of  the  whole 
bulk.  After  having  been  well  shaken,  two  ounces  were  mixed 
with  four  ounces  of  95  per  cent  alcohol,  and  set  at  rest  for  two 
days.  The  mixture  was  then  filtered,  and  the  filtrate  allowed 
to  evaporate  slowly  to  a  small  bulk  of  reddish  brown  syrup,  sol- 
uble without  residue  in  two  drachms  of  distilled  water.  Even 
the  smallest  quantity  gave  a  very  decided  indication  of  grape 
