AFebi°uYr^?8a95m'}    The  Apocynacece  in  Materia  Medica.  103 
stance,  probably  a  glucoside,  and  which  yields  with  hydrochloric 
acid  a  blue  coloration. 
The  seed  of  Thevetia  neriifolia  is  a  powerful  poison,  ordinarily 
considered  an  acrid  narcotic,  producing  violent  convulsions  and 
gastro-intestinal  phenomena.  It  has  been  employed  as  a  purgative 
in  rheumatism  and  dropsical  conditions  in  the  dose  of  one-half 
kernel.  It  is  especially  as  a  febrifuge  that  it  is  used  along  with  the 
bark.  In  certain  regions  of  America  the  seeds  are  considered  a  good 
alexiteric  ;  two  of  the  seeds  pulverized  are  macerated  in  rum,  the 
liquid  drunk  in  fractions  and  the  expressed  pulp  applied  to  the 
wound. 
The  Fruit  and  Seeds  of  Ahouai. — The  Thevetia  Ahouai  A.DC 
(Cerbera  Ahouai  L.),  is  a  native  of  Brazil,  and  is  distinguished  from 
the  Thevetia  neriifolia  by  having  relatively  broad  leaves.  The  seed 
are  identical  with  the  preceding  and  possess  the  same  properties 
and  usages. 
The  Seeds  of  Yccotli. — The  Thevetia  Yccoth  A.DC.  {Cerbera 
thevetioides  Kunth),  of  Mexico,  is  one  of  the  most  poisonous  of 
the  Apocynaceae.  The  T  ovata  A.DC,  T.  cuneifolia  A.DC,  var. 
Andrieuxii  and  T.  glabra,  all  these  species  and  varieties  are  known 
in  the  state  of  Jalisco  as  Narcisos  amarillos. 
The  tree  is  named  Yccotli,  Icotli,  Yccali,  Joyottli,  or  Joyote.  The 
Aztec  word  is  Joyottli,  which  Hernandez  transformed  into  Yccotli, 
adopted  by  DeCandolle  as  the  specific  name.  The  fruit  is  a  drupe, 
with  two  papillae  on  the  sides,  rich  in  latex  in  the  whitish  mesocarp 
and  contains  a  stone,  a  bony  endocarp,  yellowish,  with  four  seeds  or 
more  often,  two  by  abortion. 
Herrera  has  separated  from  the  seeds  a  non-drying  fixed  oil,  by 
expression ;  another  oil  by  ether  and  a  white  glucoside,  crystallized, 
inodorous,  non-volatile,  very  acrid,  Thevetosine.  Carpio  has  shown 
that  the  two  oils  are  toxic  in  action  upon  pigeons,  but  not  upon 
rabbits,  and  that  the  Thevetosine  is  extremely  poisonous,  emetic  by 
action  on  the  nerves,  paralyzing  the  respiratory  muscles  first  and 
then  the  other  muscles  and  causing  death  by  slow  asphyxia.  The 
substance  has  likewise  some  of  the  properties  of  the  Digitalins. 
The  Mexicans  use  the  seeds  principally  against  haemorrhoids, 
cutaneous  maladies,  ulcers  and  tumors.  It  seems  likewise  to  be 
used  to  cure  the  bite  of  the  rattlesnake. 
