d44 UMBEL. 
and it always produces a discharge of pus or of 
some other morbid secretion. It may arise from 
one or more of many widely different causes; and 
may assume any one of many widely different 
agoregate characters; and must be treated, in 
each instance, according to its cause and charac- 
ter. It may be a simple ulcer, arising from a 
severe or neglected or mismanaged wound or 
bruise; or a sinuous ulcer, running under the 
integuments, and having a narrow but not cal- 
lous orifice; or a fistulous ulcer running deeply, 
tubularly, and ramifiedly under the integu- 
ments, and having a narrow and callous orifice ; 
or a fungous ulcer, covered with fungous flesh, 
and continuously reproducing it; or a putrid 
ulcer, more or less of the nature of gangrene or 
of an eating fetid sore; or a carious ulcer, de- 
pending on caries in a bone or a cartilage; or a 
glanderous ulcer, more or less identical with the 
disease of glanders in the horse ; or a cancerous 
ulcer, more or less identical with canker in the 
horse’s feet, or with phagadenic cancer in any 
part of the body of either the horse or any other 
| 
animal. See the articles Wounp, Axssczrss, F1s- 
TULA, KFunaus, Carius, GANGRENE, GLANDERS, 
Farcy, and CancEr. 
| The simple recent ulcer of horses or cattle ge- 
nerally heals spontaneously, or with such easy aid 
as the application of tincture of myrrh, solution 
of alum, or some other mild astringent; but a 
foul chronic ulcer, whether it have or have not a 
fistulous character, is sometimes so stubborn as 
to require both skilful and very persevering 
treatment. “ When ulcers have continued for a 
long time,” says Delabere Blaine, with special 
reference to the horse, “ it is often necessary to 
employ constitutional remedies to establish a 
cure. In full habits we increase the other secre- 
tions, as those of the bowels, the kidneys, the 
skin, &c., by purgatives, diuretics, and such re- 
medies as act on the skin. We also lessen the 
excess of morbid secretion of pus, by establish- 
ing a new and artificial drain in the neighbour- 
hood, which is done by setons or by rowels. In 
some cases, instead of existing plethora, the ulcer 
has occasioned or is accompanied by great irri- 
| tability of system, which must be combated by 
opium, and other sedatives; or if debility be- 
come very apparent, tonics must be given, to- 
gether with a liberal diet. In general cases, 
stable soiling, a coarse of carrots, or other total 
change of food, assists the healing and restora- 
tive process greatly. In general cases, the longer 
an ulcer has lasted, the more obstinately will the 
vessels have gained a diseased habit, and the 
? 
| to a healthy state. The external means employ- 
ed for this purpose are usually three,—stimulat- 
ing injections, seton, or incision.” 
ULEX. See Furze. 
ULMIN. See Humus. 
ULMUS. See Exum. 
UMBEL. An inflorescence which has a num- 
in modern days by Sprengel, Lagasea, Koch, and 
portance of many species is well known. 
more difficulty there will be to bring them back | 
UMBELLIFEROUS PLANTS. 
ber of flower-stalks diverging from a common cen- 
tre like the rays of an umbrella, and bearing their 
flowers on their extremity, all at nearly one ele- 
vation. When each ray is undivided, so as to 
bear but one flower, the umbel is said to be sim- 
ple; and when each ray is ramified, so as to divide 
into a number of pedicels, and to terminate in a 
number of flowers, the umbel is said to be com- 
pound. Familiar instances of umbellate inflor- 
escence are the carrot, the parsnip, and the com- 
mon hemlock. 
UMBELLIFEROUS PLANTS, or UmBenuire- 
ra. A natural order of calyciflorous exogens, 
“one of the least attractive groups of plants,” 
says Loudon, “and at the same time one of the 
most important to the world. They are not more 
useful as food, than they are dangerous as poison. 
While in their native ditches, they are often sus- 
picious lurid weeds; but under the influence of 
cultivation, they lay aside their venom, and be- 
come wholesome food for man. They are gene- 
rally recognised by their hollow stems and cut 
leaves, with what botanists call a sheathing pe- 
tiole, that is to say, with a petiole the base of 
which wraps round the stem. Their flowers are 
mostly white or yellow; rarely, as in Astranitza, 
some species of Caucalis, and others, of a pink 
colour; or blue, as Lryngium. The inflores- 
cence is umbellate; and their fruit consists of two 
ribbed portions, improperly called seeds, which 
are held together by a common axis, and a thick- 
ened discus. All are natives of damp ditches or 
way-sides, in cool parts of the wold; in the tro- 
pics they are extremely rare. The simplicity of 
their structure, and uniformity of their appear- 
ance, have rendered their classification a matter 
of very great difficulty. It has been attempted 
Decandolle, all of whom have added much to our 
knowledge. The culinary and agricultural im- 
The 
parsnip and carrot form a large part of the sta- 
ple winter store of the inhabitants of Europe, as 
the Arracachas do of those of South America ; 
and the Prangos of Thibet is supposed to be the 
most important and productive of any in the 
whole world, as a forage plant. The medicinal 
than they are at variance with each other. While 
' properties of Umbelliferze are not more powerful | 
‘the seeds of some are aromatic and stimulating 
in the highest degree, the fresh roots and leaves 
of others are not less narcotic. This has been 
‘supposed to arise from the difference in the state 
of the sap in different parts of the plant; and it 
has been thought that the narcotic principle is | 
only to be found in the ascending sap, while the 
aromatic stimulant properties are found in the 
juices which are fully elaborated and matured.” 
A general rule of some value to persons but in- 
differently acquainted with botany—the more so 
as many of the most common wild Umbellifere 
of entirely opposite properties are so nearly alike 
in general appearance as to be readily mis- 
