SQUILL.

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da ys, frequently shaking, and strain. The Edinburgh College usesAloes (Socotrine or East Indian), 5ix.; Cardamoms, ground, and Ginger ,P 1 coarse powder, of each, gr. lxx. ; Sherry, Oiss. Digest for seven. a ys, and strain through linen or calico. Wine of aloes is purgative,111 doses of fSss. to fjij.: stomachic in doses of f 5j * or f3'j •

Aloes is a constituent of several other preparations, (as ExtractumOolocynthidis compositum, L. D., Pilules Colocynthidis, E.; Pilules Rheicomposites, L. E.; Pilules Cambogies, E., Pilules Cambogiee composites,b- ; Pilules Sagapeni composites, L.) which will be described heieafter.

Squil'la marit'ima, Steinheil, E .—The Sea Onion, or Officinal Squill.

Scilla maritima, Linn. L. D.

Sex. Syst. Hexandria, Monogynia.(Bulbus recens, L. Bulbus, D. Bulb, E.)

j , ISTor y.—T he Egyptians worshipped a bulbous plant, called by^‘Ucian Kpofifivov, and which Pauw {Phil. Diss. on the Egypt, and Chinese ,

• p. 130, 1795) asserts to he the squill, and further suggests that itWtV,^ 16 re< ^ variet y (■ Squilla Pancration var. a. Bulbo rufo, Steinh.)v nagoras (Pliny , Hist. Nat. lib. xix. cap. 30) is said to have written aa anie on the medicinal properties of squill, and to have invented thee Um scillee. Hippocrates employed squill {ariWa ) internally (De victus*o«e), externally (De ulceribus ), and as a pessary (De Nat. Mul.)v °tany. Gen. Char. —Sepals three, coloured, spreading. Petalsr y like them, and scarcely broader. Stamens six, shorter than thej? ar, th; filaments smooth, somewhat dilated at the base, acuminate,st / le ' Ovary tliree-parted, glandular and melliferous at the apex;ro^ 6 , SIrioot h, simple; stigma obscurely three-lobed, papillose.* Capsule« n ded, three-cornered, three-celled. Seeds numerous, in two rows,e ned with a membranous testa. ( Lindley, from Steinheil.)

Pi ^ —Leaves very large, subsequently spreading. Bracts long.

t,,°7^ white ; flower-bud somewhat acute. Anthers yellow. Ovariumyellowish. Bulb very large {Steinheil, Ann. Sc. Nat. t. vi. p. 272,

roundish-ovate, half above ground. The leaves appear after theab" 6rS ’ the y are broad, lanceolate, twelve to eighteen inches long. Scapetwo feet high, terminated by a dense long raceme.

^ AT *-—Shores of the Mediterranean, viz. Spain, France, Sicily, Africa ,Soil avar ino has long been celebrated for its squills. In its nativejj be plant flowers about August.

Kscri ption.— The fresh bulb (bulbus recens, L.; radix recens, offic.)P^b’nn, of the size of the fist to that of a child’s head, and is corn-ed ^ °f thick, fleshy, smooth, shiny scales, attenuated at their edges,iu e , a Pphed over each other, and attached to a conical disk (a rudi-fji ar y stem), which projects inferiorly, and gives origin to the rootCq^’ fbe remains of which are to be frequently found in the bulbs ofbra I,lerce " The outer scales are usually dry, thin, coloured, mem-s Pir' < . 1US ’ or papery. By cracking the inner or fleshy scales, numerousvessels may be drawn out. On submitting the cuticle of thea re GS a rn * cr °scopic examination, numerous acicular crystals {raphides)Perceived in cells, which are distinguished from the surrounding