080 
VERMIFUGE. 
sold by the confectioners of Paris under the name 
of Sirope de Groseilles. 
VERMIFUGEH. Any medicine which expels 
intestinal parasites from man or horse or other 
subjects. One of the best vermifuges for man is 
turpentine,—for the horse, calomel and aloes,— 
and for the dog, tin. See the article Worms 
(InTHSTINAL). 
VERMILION. The powdered bisulphuret or 
deuto-sulphuret of mercury. It is found native 
in the form of aruddy sand in some silver mines. 
and is afterwards purified by repeated washings 
and other processes; and it is also manufactur- 
ed on a large scale in the solid form of cinnabar, 
and afterwards reduced to powder. It is well 
known as a beautiful and delicate pigment. See 
the articles Mrercury and CInnaBAR. 
VERMIN. Parasites infesting any of the larger 
animals. See the articles Lousr, Lousiness, and 
PARASITES (ANIMAL). 
VERMIN. Any animals, small or great, in- 
vertebrate or vertebrate, which prey upon the 
crops or produce of the garden or the farm. The 
principal molluscous vermin, together with the 
best methods of keeping them down or destroy- 
ing them, are noticed in the article Siva; the 
principal annelidous ones, in the articles Worm 
and Hartu-Worm; the principal insect ones, in 
the, articles Insuct, Ant, Apuis, BurtErr.y, 
Mota, Beeris, Fry, CaTerPItuaR, LARVA, GRUB, 
and Wire-worm; the principal feathered ones, 
in the articles Crow, Rook, Gams, and Hxpar- 
Birps; and the principal mammalian ones, in the 
articles Mousz, Freip-Micn, Rat, Moun, Heper- 
Hog, WraseEL, and Ponecat. A method of destroy- 
ing most kinds of vermin by means of any strong 
ammoniacal liquor is mentioned in the article 
Ammonia. A writer in the English Agricultural 
Journal describes a method of destroying rats and 
mice with phosphorus, which may be regarded as 
an acceptable addendum to the methods noticed 
in our article Mousz. “Two years ago,” says he, 
“rats of an extraordinary size and fierceness 
trooped about this old house at night, with a 
clatter which a little imagination and the still- 
ness of the hour magnified into charges of caval- 
ry. Young pigs were torn from the sows, and 
devoured, despite their formidable defence ; nor 
was it possible to calculate anything like the 
quantity of grain consumed by them. Several 
plans were tried for entrapping and poisoning; 
but our ingenuity fell so far short of their mar- 
vellous sagacity, that no sensible impression was 
made upon their hosts, notwithstanding unre- 
mitting perseverance. However, having declar- 
ed a war of extermination against the whole 
race, I rejoice in being now able to communicate 
to my agricultural friends in England an easy 
and certain mode of getting rid of this intolera- 
ble nuisance. A little manoeuvring may be ju- 
diciously used to attract the enemy to a suitable 
position—suppose any unoccupied room in an 
outhouse, where they particularly abound. Here 
VESICARIA. 
they should be fed with any favourite food—fish 
or malt I believe they are fond of—and then 
with, not a preparation of arsenic, which they 
are much too clever to touch, but pills, the size 
of pease, made of equal portions of wheaten flour 
and powdered sugar, intimately mixed with one 
sixtieth part of that weight of dissolved phos- 
phorus—say one quarter ounce phosphorus to 
one pound of flourand sugar. Cold water should 
be added to make the mass manageable, and 
the pills finely rolled in dry flour, and kept 
secluded from light and air. A couple of pills 
may be thrown into each rat hole, or any quan- 
tity left on a plate in a dark situation, by which 
the double object is attained of attracting the 
animals by the luminousness of the phosphorus 
and preserving it from too rapid evaporation. 
The pills should be replaced as often as eaten, 
and that without grudging, as although the slain 
may not be found, it may be relied on that 
‘every bullet has had its billet.’ Still, in a day 
or two, many rats will be seen running to water, 
where they die from excessive drinking. No do- 
mestic animal appears to be in danger of eating 
this preparation, except fowls. Dry weather is 
most favourable to its successful application, as 
damp, whether of situation or atmosphere, dis- 
solves and consequently weakens the phospho- 
rus.” 
VERNAL GRASS. See AnrHoxantTHuM. 
VERNONIA. A genus of ornamental exotic 
plants, of the thistle division of the composite 
order. About 20 species have been introduced 
to the gardens and botanical collections of Bri- 
tain, principally from various parts of America; 
and nearly 30 more are known. A few of the 
introduced species are herbs, with sessile and 
subspicate flowers; a greater number are hardy 
perennial- rooted, annual-stemmed herbs, with 
paniculate or corymbose flowers; and five or six 
are tropical evergreen shrubs. Most have a height 
of between 3 and 9 feet, and carry purple-colour- | 
ed flowers, and bloom from the early part or | 
middle of autumn till November; but one of the 
shrubs, the axillary-flowered, has lilac-coloured 
flowers, and blooms throughout the greater part 
of the year. The greater number thrive well in 
any common soil; and the shrubs are propagated 
from cuttings, and the perennial-rooted herbs by 
radical division. 
VERONICA. See SpEEDWELL. 
VERTIGO. See Mzcrim. 
VERVAIN. See VERBENA. 
VERVAIN (Bastarp). See SracHyTARPHETA. 
VESICARIA. A genus of ornamental exotic 
plants, of the cruciferous order. The name is 
derived from a word signifying “a bladder,” and 
alludes to the inflations of the silicles. Four 
species have been introduced to Britain from 
Southern Europe and the Levant; and twice as 
many more are known. ‘T'wo of the introduced 
species are hardy evergreen herbs of about a foot 
in height, the other two are respectively a bien- 
