. The vegetable kingdom : or, The structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. th ery-sipelatous phlegmasis, in con-seqence of the fumes only ofthis plant. The sap of Com-mia cochinchinensis is white,tenacious, emetic, purgative,and deobstruent. Cautiouslyadministei-ed, it is said to bea good medicine m obstinatedropsy and obstructions. The juice of this Order is not, however, always as dangerous as in the instances justgiven. That of Siphonia elastica, a tree inhabitmg Guayana and Brazil, yields thebottle India Rubber, which is ^wovra m Europe ; in prepa
. The vegetable kingdom : or, The structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. th ery-sipelatous phlegmasis, in con-seqence of the fumes only ofthis plant. The sap of Com-mia cochinchinensis is white,tenacious, emetic, purgative,and deobstruent. Cautiouslyadministei-ed, it is said to bea good medicine m obstinatedropsy and obstructions. The juice of this Order is not, however, always as dangerous as in the instances justgiven. That of Siphonia elastica, a tree inhabitmg Guayana and Brazil, yields thebottle India Rubber, which is ^wovra m Europe ; in preparing it the natives smear claymoulds with repeated layers of the juice, at the same time dr;ymg it m smoke. Aleu-rites triloba, whose seeds mil be mentioned presently, exudes a gummy substance whichthe natives of Tahiti chew ; A. laccifera fm-nishes gum lac in Ceylon ; and the secre-tions of certam Crotons, viz. Draco and sanguiferum, become a similar red substancein the tropical parts of America. Among the crowd of emetic and purgative plants having more or less reputation Fig. CXCIV.—Fruit of Hura Fig. CXCIV. EuPHORBiALEs.] EUPHORBIACE^. 279 in the countries where they grow, many are found in the Euphorbiaceous OiJer. Theroot of Stillingia sylvatica is regarded in Carolma and Florida as a speeitie in syphihticmaladies ; the same reputation attaches to Cnemidostachys Chamii^lea in India, andJatropha offichiahs (Raiz de Tihu) in Brazil. The Tragias volubilis of America, andinvoluerata, eamiabiua, and Mercmialis of Asia, are noted for their solvent, diaphoreticand dim*etic quahties. More especially the root of Tragia involucrata is reckoned, bythe Hindoo doctors, among those medicmes which they conceive to possess virtues hialtering and correctmg the habit in cases of cachexia, and in old venereal complaintsattended with anomalous symptoms. The Mercuriahs or Dog Mercury of Europe isanother active genus. M. annua has a nauseous taste and is slightly purgative ;
Size: 1677px × 1490px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookidvegetablekingdom00lind
