AFebr°uar^  Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  115 
RECENT  LITERATURE  RELATING  TO  PHARMACY. 
SPINDLE  TREE  (EUONYMUS  EUROP^US,  L  ). 
The  spindle  tree  (Euonymus  Europaeus)  is  one  of  our  native  shrubs 
or  small  trees  possessing  great  ornamental  merit,  which  is  over- 
looked by  landscape  gardeners.  It  is  deciduous,  but  its  broadly  lanceo- 
late leaves,  of  a  wavy,  irregular  outline,  with  minutely  serrated  edges, 
turn,  before  they  fall,  to  a  deep,  rich  crimson.  The  small  pale-green 
cross-like  blossoms,  which  open  in  May,  are  inconspicuous ;  but  the 
fruit,  when  ripe  in  October,  has  all  the  appearance  of  a  flower  of 
brilliant  hues.  The  fruit,  indeed,  from  its  color  and  shape,  is  the 
most  distinctive  as  well  as  most  beautiful  feature  of  the  tree.  Each 
berry  is  four-lobed  and  of  a  lively  rose-pink.  When  quite  ripe  the 
lobes  open,  disclosing  four  large  seeds  covered  with  a  deep  orange- 
colored  membrane,  the  seeds  and  the  husk  then  presenting  a  curi- 
ous but  attractive  contrast.  The  wood  of  the  spindle  tree  is  exceed- 
ingly tough,  and  the  husks  and  stems  of  the  berries  partake  of  the 
same  character,  so  that  long  after  the  leaves  have  fallen  these  remain 
to  enliven  the  wintry  landscape.  Birds  will  not  touch  them,  and 
with  human  beings  they  act  as  a  strong  emetic  and  purgative. 
The  wood  is  so  compact  and  tough  that  it  is  hard  to  break  and 
almost  impossible  to  splinter.  In  the  days  of  domestic  industries, 
when  every  notable  maid  minded  her  wheel,  it  was  in  request  for 
the  making  of  spindles ;  hence  its  commonest  name — a  name  by 
which  it  is  known  in  Germany  and  Italy.  It  was  also  used  for 
making  the  pointed  ends  of  ox-goads,  whence  is  derived  another 
name  of  gatter  tree,  or  prickwood.  Chaucer  calls  the  berries  gaitre- 
berries,  and  in  the  Nonnes  Preetes  Tale  recommends  them  against 
ague  and  the  humors1.  In  Ireland  it  is  called  pegwood,  because 
shoemakers  use  it  for  pegs  for  shoes.  In  France  it  is  also  known  by 
the  name  of  priest's  cap,  from  the  resemblance  of  the  berry  in  shape 
to  a  biretta.  Though  goads  and  spindles  are  gone  out  of  fashion,  the 
wood  is  still  employed  in  the  making  of  a  variety  of  small  wares, 
such  as  skewers,  toothpicks  and  fine  pins  for  cleaning  watches  ;  and 
artists  are  said  to  prefer  the  charcoal  prepared  from  the  branches  to 
any  other,  partly  from  its  excellent  quality  and  partly  because  it  is 
easily  effaced, 
'Chaucer's  plant  is,  however,  generally  supposed  to  be  dogwood  (Cornus 
sanguinca,  K.). 
