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ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
India islands, also appears to be endowed with somewhat the 
same characters. Dr. Wright, (Med. Plants, Jamaica,) 
states that the roots and young shoots are a poison to hogs, and 
also that a Dutch physician in Jamaica employed the flowers 
as an anodyne with great advantage; this property was con- 
firmed by other practitioners who found them a mild and safe 
opiate in fevers, where opium itself was inadmissible. The 
mode of administration is to infuse twenty-four of the blos- 
soms in hot water; this infusion, when cold, to be taken in 
two doses; twelve of the berries eaten produce the same effect. 
It is evident, however, that great caution is requisite in the 
employment of this remedy, as from its poisonous effects, an 
overdose might be attended with serious consequences. 
The flowers of another species, the P. fcetida, are also es- 
teemed as efficacious in catarrh and other diseases of the respi- 
ratory organs, and an infusion of the stems is said by Poupee 
Desportes to be a powerful emmenagogue. 
No trials have been made with our native species, though 
it is probable from their virose smell, that they will be found 
analogous in their properties to the above. 
We have noticed these plants from the fact that Decan- 
dolle has stated that "no species of the Passifloreae is em- 
ployed in medicine, nor does it appear that they are endowed 
with any striking properties," and Lindley says that nothing 
is known respecting their qualities except the edible character 
of the fruit. 
Cerbera. — In a late notice of the C. Tanghin, (Jim. Jour. 
Pharm. i. 190,) we stated that it was the most virulent vege- 
table poison known, but omitted to say that it is the Tanghi- 
nia venenifera, Dupetit Thouars. Poiret, however, con- 
siders that it is identical with the C. manghas. The nuts 
have been analyzed by Henry, jr., and found to contain a 
limpid, mild, fixed oil, a peculiar crystalline substance, ex- 
tremely poisonous, ( Tanghine) &c. &c. 
All the other species, seven of which are enumerated by 
