ee 
peasant’s panacea for all human diseases. In all 
such cases as these, or any others in which the 
regular physician does not prescribe, Soccotrine 
aloes are a decidedly dangerous drug.—Barbadoes 
aloes is the most suitable for all departments of 
veterinary practice. Jn the case of black cattle 
and of sheep, however, it is of very doubtful ac- 
tion, and might, except in rare cases, be very 
advantageously banished from among the cattle- 
doctor’s remedies. Six ounces have been given, 
in some cases, without any perceptible effect, 
and, in others, with only the mischievous effects 
of irritation and fever. They appear to force 
their way into the rumen; and they have there 
no power to act as an aperient or a sanative, but 
can only produce disgust and nausea. Aloes 
ought never to be administered to black cattle 
| or sheep, as a first remedy or uncombined; and, 
| even in cases of obstinate constipation, it ought 
to be given with caution, in perfect solution, and 
in mixture with such substances as epsom salts, 
tincture of ginger, and mucilage of gum arabic. 
—Aloes is incomparably the best purgative for 
_ the horse; and the Barbadoes purge more, gripe 
less, and maintain a longer action than the Cape. 
“In the proportion of fifteen ounces of the pow- 
der mixed with one ounce of powdered ginger, 
and beaten up with eight ounces of palm oil, 
and afterwards divided into the proper doses, it 
will form a purging mass more effectual, and 
much less likely to gripe, than any that can be 
procured by melting the drug. If the physic is 
given in the shape of a ball, it more readily dis- 
solves in the stomach, and more certainly and 
safely acts on the bowels when mingled with 
some oily matter, like that just recommended, 
than when combined with syrup or honey, which 
are apt to ferment, and be themselves the cause 
of gripes. It is also worse than useless to add 
any diuretic to the mass, as soap or carbonate of 
soda: the action of these on one set of organs 
will weaken that of the aloes on another.” The 
combination of any alkaline matter with aloes 
quickens their action, but impairs their purgative 
powers, and prevents them from operating spe- 
cifically on the larger intestines. The activity 
of a dose of aloes to the horse may, when desir- 
able, be increased by the addition of a few drops 
of creton oil—A tincture of aloes and myrrh, 
made of eight ounces of powdered aloes, one 
ounce of powdered myrrh, two quarts of recti- 
fied alcohol, and two quarts of pure water, daily 
shaken for a fortnight, and then purified by fil- 
tration, is an excellent application for either old 
or recent wounds, not only acting as a gentle 
stimulant, but forming a thin crust over the 
wounds, and protecting them from the action of 
the air.—Milburn’s Oriental Convmerce.—Porter’s 
Tropical Agriculturist—Materia Medica of Hin- 
| dostan.— Duncan’s Dispensatory.— Clater’s Cattle 
Doctor.— Youatt on Cattile—Youatt on the Horse. 
—Anderson’s Commercial Dictionary—Quarterly 
Journal of Agriculture. 
ALOPECURUS. 135 
ALOES. See Aton and Atoz-Trex. 
ALOE-TREE,—botanically Aguilaria Malac- 
censis. A rare and interesting tree of China and 
of some of the East Indian islands, producing the 
aloes of scripture, and the aloe-wood, ligne aloe, 
eagle-wood, calambouc, and tambac of commerce. 
It resembles the olive-tree both in height and in 
form. The exterior part of the timber furnishes 
the eagle-wood of commerce; and is black, com- 
pact, and heavy. The part within the eagle- 
wood is the calambouc or calamba-wood of com- 
merce; it is dark-coloured, shining, fragrant, 
exceedingly light, and burns like wax; and it is 
imported into Europe, and held in high esteem 
for its delicious odour and for the making of pas- 
tiles. The heart-wood or that which lies next 
the pith, is the tambac of commerce, and far 
more valuable than even the calambouc; but it 
is very difficult to be obtained, even in the coun- 
tries in which it is produced. Both the tambac 
and the finer sorts of the calambouc are fre- 
quently sold in the East for their weight in gold, 
to be burnt in censers like incense. Two most 
beautiful passages in the sacred scriptures, afford 
an exquisite illustration of these fragrant aloe- 
woods, and lift them into association with the 
most glorious of truths: “Thou lovest righteous- 
ness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy 
God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness 
above thy fellows; all thy garments smeil of 
myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory pal- 
aces whereby they have made thee glad.” “Thy 
plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with plea- 
sant fruits; camphire, with spikenard ; spikenard 
and saffron ; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees 
of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the 
chief spices; a fountain of gardens, a well of 
living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” 
ALONSOA. A small genus of tender, orna- 
mental plants, of the nightshade or potatoe tribe, 
from Chili and Peru. The number of species in- 
troduced to Britain is five ; and the total number 
known is nine. One of the species, Alonsoa cre- 
ticum, has recently become a pet-plant with almost 
all florists. 
ALOPECURUS, — popularly Foxrarn-Grass. 
A genus of grasses of the Agrostis tribe. The 
number of indigenous species in Great Britain is 
six; the number of introduced exotic species in | 
1829 was two; and the total number of known 
species is upwards of twenty. The two intro- 
duced exotic species are the bladdered, Alopecurus 
utriculatus, from Italy; and the black, blackish, 
or black-headed, Alopecurus nigricans, from Si- 
beria. Of the indigenous species, the bulbous, 
Alopecurus bulbosus, grows wild in salt marshes 
in England; the meadow, Alopecurus pratensis, 
in meadows in England and Scotland; the Al- 
pine, Alopecurus alpinus, on mountains in Scot- 
land; the slender, Alopecurus agrostis, at road- 
sides in England and Scotland ; the knee-jointed, 
jointed, floating or awned, Alopecurus geniculatus, 
in meadows in England and Scotland; and the 
