CARDAMINE (pratensis). Cuckoo flower, lady's smock.

History. A perennial herbaceous plant, grow ing in moist meadows and flowering in the spring.

Qualities. The flowers and leaves (the parts employed) are of a pungent, slightly bitter

taste.

Medical properties. Flowers diuretic, and stimulant. Leaves antiscorbutic. Very little used. Dose 3j to 3j.

CARDAMOMUM. See Matonia.

CARUM (carvi). Carraway, the seeds. History. The plant producing these seeds is indigenous, biennial, and umbelliferous; it is cultivated in our gardens; in May and June the flowers expand, and the seed ripens in August. Qualities. Carraway seeds have a warm pungent flavor, and an aromatic smell. The whole virtues of the plant arise in distillation with

water.

Medical properties. Carminative and stomachic. They are generally employed to give warmth to purgatives. Dose 9 to 3j.

CARYOPHYLLUS. See Eugenia.
CASCARILLA. See Croton.

CASSIA (fistula). Cassia. (Senna). Senna. History. The Cassia fistula tree is indigenous in Egypt, and of both the Indies. It rises to the height of forty or fifty feet, and has a fruit of a small cylindrical pod. It flowers in June. The tree which produces the common senna of commerce is a native of Upper Egypt; it is an annual plant, and flowers in August. It grows in the form of a shrub.

Qualities. The part used of the cassia fistula is the pulp of the pods, which has a slight odor, and a sweetish taste. It dissolves both in water and alcohol: the watery solution is indeed the most complete. The leaves are the part employed of the senna tree, which have rather a faint smell, with a bitterish, somewhat aromatic taste; they give out their principal virtues to water, when the temperature of the water is raised to boiling.

Medical properties. The pulp of cassia is aperient. It is not at present in much use. Senna leaves are very generally used in medicine, and are actively and speedily cathartic. Dose 33 to 3j.

CASTOR (fiber). The castor, beaver.

History. The beaver is an amphibious quadruped, found in northern latitudes; the castor of commerce, which is the produce of the animal, is found in follicles by the side of its anus.

Qualities. Castor is of a strong odor, and nauseous, bitterish taste. Alcohol and sulphuric

ether are its best solvents.

Medical properties. Antispasmodic, and emmenagogue. Dose grs. v. 3j.

CENTAUREA (benedicta). Blessed thistle. History. This plant is a native of the Grecian Islands, and of Spain; it is cultivated in our gardens. It is an annual, and flowers in June and September, at which time the leaves of the herb should be cut for use.

Qualities. Carduus benedictus has a faint unpleasant odor, and an intensely bitter taste. Its virtues are given both to water and alcohol.

Medical properties. Emetic in a strong decoction, and in smaller doses diaphoretic. It has also been used as a stomachic in dyspepsia. But it is now seldom employed. Dose xv. to 3j. For the smaller centaury, see Chironia. CEPHELIS (ipecacuanha). Ipecacuan.

History. Perennial, a native of South Ainerica. It flowers from December to March, and its berries ripen in May. The Indians knew this plant to possess emetic properties long before their connexion with Europe. The name ipecacuan in the language of South America means vomiting root.

Qualities. Nearly inodorous in the root. Its taste is extremely nauseous and bitter; it is also subacid. It gives out its virtues in different degrees to water and alcohol. Emetine is a name given by the French to an extract by evaporation of the tincture; and on the quantity of this it seems its medicinal virtues depend.

Medical properties.-Emetic in large doses: in smaller ones diaphoretic, expectorant, and stomachic. It is much used as a sudorific in combination with opium and neutral salts, as in the form of Dover's powder, or the compound powder of ipecacuan of the pharmacopœas. Dose, as an emetic, 9j to 313; as an expectorant, &c., gr. i. to iij.

CERA. Wax. (Flava) yellow wax. (Alba) white wax.

History. The bee produces this useful substance, the elements of which it gathers from the nectaries of plants; but some plants also secrete it ready formed. Hence it is said that wax may be considered both an animal and a vegetable substance. The yellow wax of the shops is prepared immediately from the honey-comb; it is converted into white wax by exposure to the air and sun on an extended surface, and sprinkling the substance with water.

Qualities. Yellow wax has somewhat of the odor of honey; it is without much taste, and is of a bright yellow color. The white wax is perfectly tasteless and inodorous. It is more brittle than the yellow.

Medical properties. The yellow wax is principally used for cerates and ointments. White wax is employed as a demulcent, but its internal administration is not common. Dose 3j to 9ij.

CERVUS (elaphus). The stag or hart. Horns. History. The stag is a well known animal, principally found in the northern nations. Its horns fall off and are renewed every year. It is in the early months of the year that the shedding takes place. The horns are used medicinally on account of their yielding a large portion of gelatine; otherwise they do not differ from common bone.

Qualities. The shavings of hartshorn are without smell or taste. Water is their best menstruum.

Medical properties. Demulcent. Used much in the formation of jellies.

CERIVISIE FERMENTUM.

Yeast.

History. The scum which collects on the surface of beer during fermentation.

Qualities. A sour resinous smell, and a bitter taste. Added to vegetable matter, containing

History. The original cinchona of Peru is said to be from the lancifolia, a species of the genus cinchona; it is still preferred in South America to all the other species. The red bark comes from the Andes; and the yellow bark, which is from the heart-leaved cinchona, is a native of the mountains of Loxa and Santa Fé. Qualities. The taste of the lancifolia bark is bitter; its color is light; it has but little odor; when powdered the quilled form is lighter than that from the flat kind. The red bark has more smell than the pale; its taste, however, is not so bitter, but sharper and more nauseous. The yellow bark is like the pale, in having but little odor; its taste is more bitter, but less sharp and astringent.

Medical properties. Tonic. When first introduced into Europe, principally employed in the cure of intermittent fever; but subsequently its use has been extended to very many diseases, which are marked by debility of fibre. Dose Is to 3ij.

CINNAMOMUM. See Laurus.

CITRUS (medica). Lemon (aurantium). Seville orange.

History. The lemon-tree is cultivated in the south of Europe, but it came originally from Persia and Assyria. It is an evergreen, and is occasionally cultivated in our gardens, but the fruit does not come to perfection. The orange tree is also a native of the east, but like the lemon, cultivated in the southern parts of Europe. Both the lemon and the orange fruit are imported principally from Spain. The sweet orange which usually goes under the name of the China is a variety of the same species as the Seville

orange.

Quality. The juice of the lemon is gratefully acid; it is mucilaginous, and soon spoils. The rind is slightly aromatic and bitter; it gives out its virtues to water and alcohol. The juice of the Seville orange has rather an acid taste; its rind is aromatic, sharp, and bitter. Water extracts its qualities, as does alcohol.

Medical properties. Lemon juice is refrigerant and antiscorbutic. The rind is aromatic. Orange uice is not so agreeable, nor so generally used, s lemon; but the rind is more in use, as an aromatic, in composition. Dose, 3j ad 3. Coccus (cacti). Cochineal.

History. This is an insect brought from Mexico, New Spain, and some of the West India islands; it feeds on the common Indian fig, and other species of the cactus; it has the appearance of a small berry wrinkled.

Qualities. Cochineal has a mulberry color, and a bitter, rather acrid, taste; it has a faint smell. The coloring matter, which is peculiar to it, is imparted to water and alcohol.

Medical properties. Anodyne? We thus mark it because its virtues are generally doubted by professional men. Dose grs. v. to ǝj. COCHLEARIA. Scurvy-grass. (Armoracia) Horse-radish root.

History. Scurvy-grass is an annual plant, growing on the sea-shore in several parts of the north of Europe, and cultivated occasionally in our gardens. The horse-radish is also- cultivated for use in gardens.

Qualities. Fresh scurvy-grass has a saline acrid taste, and peculiar smell; it imparts its qualities to water and alcohol. Horse-radish has a very pungent odor and taste. Both water and alcohol extract also its qualities.

Medical properties. The supposed virtue of scurvy-grass may be inferred from its name. The horse-radish is stimulant, and slightly diuretic. It has been employed in chronic paralysis. Ad libitum.

Coccos (butyracea). Mackaw tree yielding the palm oil.

History. The mackaw is a species of palm, which is a native of South America. It is the nut or kernel of its fruit which yields the palm oil of commerce.

Qualities. Palm oil has an agreeable smell; it is of the consistence of butter; and, when fresh, has a fine yellow color.

Medical properties. Emollient; only used externally.

COLCHICUM (autumnale). Meadow saffron. History. Meadow saffron is an indigenous plant, growing in moist meadows, and flowering in the autumn; it is bulbous rooted; for medicinal use it is taken up from June to August.

Qualities. When the bulb is dug up at the commencement of summer it is highly acrid; but its qualities greatly depend not only upon the season, but upon the place of its growth.

Medical properties. Diuretic, expectorant, purgative, and narcotic, according to its dose, and the disorder for which it is administered. It has lately been much used for rheumatism and gout. Dose gr. i to iv.

COLOCYNTHIS. See Cucumis.

COLOMBA. Calumbo. See Menispermum. CONIUM (maculatum). Hemlock.

History. Hemlock is an umbelliferous biennial plant, growing under hedges, and in shady moist places. It flowers in June and July. Its large and spotted stem distinguishes it from other umbelliferous plants, as well as the shining appearance of its lower leaves.

Qualities. The fresh plant has a very peculiar smell; it has been compared to the urine of a cat; this odor goes considerably off by drying; the virtues of the plant are however retained if the drying be properly effected; and they are imparted to alcohol and ether.

Medical properties. Powerfully narcotic. It has been much used to allay the irritation of schirrous disorders, and to mitigate morbid sensibility. It is often highly serviceable in the whoopcough. Dose grs. ij to v.

CONTRAYERVA. See Dorstenia. CONVOLVULUS (scammonia). Scammony. (Jalapa) Jalap.

History. The scammony convolvulus is a native of Syria; the greater part of that which is employed in commerce is from the mountains of Aleppo and Latachia. The root is perennial, and from this the scammony is obtained. The jalapa convolvulus is from South America; it takes its name from Xalappa, a city of Mexico. The root is also perennial, and is the jalap of the shops.

Qualities. Scammony is of a light, rather shining, appearance, with a heavy disagreeable smell, and friable texture. Its taste is rather. acrid. The jalap root has a nauseous smell, a pungent taste, and a heavy kind of odor. When powdered it is of a pale brown, while the powder of scammony is of a grayish color.

Medical properties. Scammony is a drastic purge, and jalap is a stimulant cathartic. Both are apt to occasion a griping pain in their action on the bowels, unless counteracted by admixture. Dose 3 to 31.

COPAIFERA (officinalis). Copaiba balsam. History. The tree which produces this substance, which is improperly called a balsam, is a native of South America, and of some of the southern islands of the West Indies. The copaiba is procured by incisions made into its trunk.

Qualities. Good copaiba is clear and transparent; it becomes solid, and of a higher color, by exposure to the air. It is insoluble in water, but dissolves entirely in alcohol.

Medical properties. Diuretic, stimulant, and aperient. It is a highly useful medicine in some chronic discharges, and but for its nauseous taste might be used more abundantly. Dose 9j to 3j. CORIANDRUM (sativum). Coriander seed. History. The plant yielding these seeds is a native of Italy, but is found in some parts of this country, particularly at Ipswich. It flowers in June, and its seeds ripen in August.

Qualities. Coriander seeds, when fresh, smell strong and disagreeable; but, by carefully drying, they become more aromatic. Their active principles are not entirely imparted to water, but they are to alcohol.

Medical properties. Carminative and stomachic. Dose, 9j to 3j.

CORNIA. See Cervus.
CRETA. See Calx.
CROCUS (sativus). Saffron.

History. A perennial bulbous root, which grows at present wild even in Britain, but it is supposed to have come originally from the east. It is cultivated in great abundance in Essex, and in some parts of Cambridgeshire. It flowers in September. The stigmata of the flowers pressed together are the saffron of commerce.

Qualities. Saffron has a pungent, rather bitter, taste, is of a rich yellow or orange-red color, and a sort of narcotic odor. It yields its color and active principles to water, as well as to alcohol.

Medical properties. Cordial and stimulant. In modern practice it is not much thought of, and scarcely used except in composition. Dose 9j to 3j. Cascarilla, the bark

CROTON (eleutheria). (tiglium). Croton oil.

CUBEBA. See Piper.

CUCUMIS (colocynthis).

History. The plant is an annual of the gourd kind; it is a native of Turkey and Nubia, flowering from May till August. It is the medulla or pulp of the fruit which is employed in medicine.

Qualities. When dried it is without smell, but has an extremely nauseous bitter taste. Its virtues are imparted to water, alcohol and water. Medical properties. Drastic purgative. Dose, grs. ij to v.

CUMINUM (cyminum). Cummin seeds. History. An umbelliferous annual plant, a native of Egypt, but cultivated in Malta and Sicily. It flowers in June.

Qualities. The seeds have a pungent taste, and rather a strong peculiar smell. Water extracts very little more than their odor; the whole quality of the seed is given out to alcohol.

Medical properties. Carminative. Dose ǝj to 3j. CUPRUM. Copper.

History. Copper is found native in many parts of the globe, both in its metallic state, and combined with oxygen; the most common ore of copper is the sulphuret: the subacetate, and the sulphate, are the salts which are admitted into the materia medica.

Qualities. Subacetate of copper (verdigris) is without odor; it is at first nearly tasteless, but it leaves a strong metallic flavor: it is of a beautiful color, bluish-green. It is not fully soluble in water. The sulphate of copper (blue vitriol) is also without odor, and it has a very acrid styptic taste; its color is blue; its crystals are semi-transparent. It is more soluble in water than in alcohol.

Medical properties. Verdigris is tonic and emetic. It is principally used externally as an escharotic. Blue vitriol is also emetic; and, when given in small doses, tonic. It is likewise employed as an escharotic. Dose grs.to v. As an emetic, grs. iv.

CURCUMA (zedoaria). Zedoary root

History. The zedoary grows in Ceylon and

Malabar. It is perennial. It flowers in April and May.

Qualities. Zedoary root smells somewhat like Its camphor; it has an acrimonious bitter taste. active principles are given partly to water, but more fully to alcohol.

Carminative and sto

Mezereon.

Medical properties. machic. Dose 9 to 3j. CUSPARIA. See Angustura. CYDONIA. See Pyrus. DAPHNE (mezereum). History. This shrub grows wild in England, and in the north of Europe. It is cultivated in our gardens; and is remarkable from its flowers expanding before the leaves, the former appear ing as early as March.

Qualities. The bark of the root and trunk, when chewed, is exceedingly pungent and burning. It yields its virtues to water and vinegar; alcohol is also a solvent of it.

Medical properties. Stimulant and diaphoretic. It has been employed in cutaneous and syphilitic affections of long standing. Dose grs.

1. to X.

DATURA (stramonium). Thorn apple.

History. Thorn apple is a native of America; it is an annual plant and now grows even wild in this country. The whole plant excepting the root is medicinally used.

Qualities. The whole plant has a fetid narIts cotic odor, and a nauseous bitterish taste. qualities are given out both to water and to alcohol.

It

Medical properties. Strongly narcotic. has lately been much employed in spasmodic asthma. Dose gr. fs to i. or gradually more. DAUCUS (carota). Carrot.

History. The carrot is a biennial plant, growing wild in Britain, and much cultivated in our gardens. The wild plant flowers in June and July.

Qualities. The seeds, especially of the wild carrot, are pungent and warm to the taste, and smell agreeably aromatic. Their essential oil, on which the properties depend, may be separated by distillation with water.

Medical properties. Diuretic and carminative. The root of the cultivated carrot is used principally as a poultice to allay the pain of phagedanic, and correct the fator of foul ulcers. Dose 9j to 3j.

DELPHINUM (staphisagria.) Stavesacre.

History. It is a biennial plant, a native of the south of Europe. It flowers in July and August. The seeds, which are the parts employed, are commonly imported from Italy.

Qualities. Stavesacre seeds are of a blackish color externally, and yellowish within; they have an acrid taste, and a disagreeable smell.

Medical properties. Violently emetic and cathartic, sialogogue, chiefly employed externally as a poison to lice. Dose grs. iii. to x.

DIANTHUS (caryophyllus). Clove-pink. History. A perennial plant and native of Italy, growing wild in this country and the walls of ruins. When cultivated in our gardens, its varieties are increased into the numerous family of carnations.

Qualities. The odor of the dianthus is fra

Medical properties.

more.

DOLICHOS (pruriens). Cowhage.

History.

In some

A climbing perennial plant, a native both of the east and west. It is the hair of the pod which is medicinally used; the pods which come into this country are principally imported from the West Indies.

Qualities. The hairs of the pods fasten upon the fingers when the pod is incautiously handled, and occasion an exceedingly troublesome itching.

Medical properties. Anthelmintic, acting as it appears mechanically. Mr. Chamberlain, we believe, was the first to point out this property of the cowhage. Dose grs. v. to x.

DORSTENIA (Contrayerva). Contrayerva root. History. A perennial and native of Peru, as well as some of the Caribbee Islands.

Qualities. A peculiar kind of aromatic smell proceeds from the root, which has also a warm and rather bitter taste. Drying does not destroy its qualities, which are imparted both to water and to alcohol.

Medical properties. Sudorific and gently stimulant. It is not at present much used excepting domestically. Dose is to 31s.

DRYOBALANOIS (camphora). Camphor.

History. The camphor of commerce has been thought the produce of the laurus camphora, but more recent observation has determined it to be produced by the dryobalanops camphora. Dr. Thomson, however, describes the qualities and medical properties of the camphor under the head of Laurus, to which we refer. DULCAMARA. See Solanum.

ERYNGIUM (maritimum). Eryngo, sea-holly. History. This plant is indigenous and perennial; it grows plentifully on the sea-shore, and flowers in July and August.

Qualities. Eryngo has a sweetish taste, it has but little odor; its virtues are imparted to

water.

Medical properties. Diuretic; very little used or thought of. Dose 3ij to 3iij. EUGENIA (Caryophyllata). Clove tree.

EUPHORBIA (Officinarum). Euphorbium. History. The substance called euphorbium is the concrete juice of a shrubby succulent plant, which is a native of Barbary; the plant is perennial. The euphorbia (antiquorum), and canariensis, are said to furnish part of the euphorbium which is brought into this country.

Qualities. Euphorbium is in the form of irregular drops or tears, which are without smell, but which give to the tongue a very acrid sensation. Neither water nor alcohol dissolves the whole of their substance and properties. Ether takes up, we are told, six parts in ten, forming an opaline solution.

Medical properties. Powerfully emetic, cathartic, and errhine, Not much used internally. FARINA. See Amylum and Triticum. FERRUM. Iron.

History. One of the most common metallic productions of nature. It is found in its native state combined with other metals and with sulphur, combined with oxygen to the extent of oxidation, and acidified. Its presence is so universally diffused, that it has been described as even a constituent of organic being. Iron is not like the other metals positively poisonous. Metallic and oxidised iron are admitted into the materia medica.

Qualities. The filings of iron are generally as obtained from the workshops mixed with copper filings, and other impurities; their appearance is dark and metallic, and their taste astringent; the scales of oxidised iron which are detached by the smith's iron from the surface of the heated metal, are without much taste or smell; when reduced to powder they assume a grayish-black color.

Medical properties. Tonic and anthelmintie. The mere filings have, however, no other than perhaps a mechanical operation, unless operated upon by the acid of the primæ viæ; the oxidised scales possess, however, positive chalybeate virtues. Dose grs. v. to 9j.

FERULA (assafoetida). Assafoetida.

History. The plant which furnishes this substance is perennial, and a native of the south of Persia; the gum resin is procured by cutting transversely the top of the root after the stock has been twisted off. It hardens in the sun.

Qualities. Assafoetida has a strong garlicky smell, and an acrid bitter taste; these qualities it loses much by exposure to air. It is miscible but not properly soluble in water, but alcohol and ether are solvents of it.

Medical properties. Stimulant, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, anthelmintic, and perhaps lightly expectorant. It is in considerable use both

History. The fig tree is thought to be originally from the East, but it now grows plentifully in the south of Europe; the figs that are used in this country are principally imported from the Levant.

Qualities. The taste of dried figs is sweet, their color brown. They vary both in taste and external appearance according to the parts from which they are sent.

Medical properties. Aperient and demulcent; their principal medicinal use is external in the way of cataplasm, in which case they are roasted or boiled.

FRAXINUS (ornus). Manna.

History. The ash which produces the manna of commerce is a native of the south of Europe; other species besides the ornus produce it, particularly the rotundifolia. Manna is partly a natural exudation from the stem of the tree it concretes into small white tears, and is scraped off for use; but the greatest quantity is procured by incision.

Qualities. Manna has a very sweet taste with a slight mixture of bitterness; its smell is slight but peculiar. It is entirely soluble both in water and alcohol.

Medical properties. Laxative: used principally for children, and combined with other purgatives. Dose 33 to 3ij.

Fucus (vesiculosus). Bladder wrack.

History. This is a common sea-weed, which is much employed in manufacturing kelp. Qualities. It has a taste like soda, and a slight but peculiar smell.

Medical properties. Deobstruent, employed in glandular swellings. Dose j to 3j. GALBANUM. See Bubon. GALLE. See Quercus. GENTIANA (lutea).

Gentian root.

History. A perennial plant, growing upon the Alps and other mountainous parts. The root is imported into this country principally from Germany.

Qualities. Exceedingly bitter taste, no particular smell. Water, alcohol, and ether extract the virtues of gentian.

Medical properties. Tonic and stomachic. Dose 9 to 3j.

GEOFFROYA (inermis). Cabbage-tree bark. History. The tree producing this bark grows in the low savannahs of Jamaica.

Qualities. The bark has a mucilaginous, taste and an unpleasant odor.

Medical properties. Anthelmintic, especially used against the lumbrici. Dose ǝj to ǝij.

GEUM (urbanum). Herb bennet, or avens. History. This plant is indigenous and perennial, it grows wild in shady places, and flowers from May to August.

Qualities. An odor somewhat like cloves, and taste rather aromatic. On the outside the pieces of the root are dark, but they break with a white fracture. Its qualities are yielded to water and alcohol.

Medical properties. Tonic and rather astringent. It has been proposed, by Buckhave, as a substitute for intermittents. Dose 3j to 3ij.