NUX-VOMICA.

905

dread. Yet it contains harmless and edible species (see Royle’s Illus-Wi0, «, p. 27-). 1 3

^tryctinos Nux-vom'ica, Linn., L. E. D .—The Poison-nut.

Sex. Syst. Pentandria, Monojjynia.

(Semina, /..—Seeds, E.)

—We became acquainted with Nax-vomica through tliej)j 0l authors. In the Latin translation of one of the works of Sera-n Ux., Simplic. Med. clxiii. p. 115, Argent. 1531) we find the word(pf^^ica, but it appears to have been applied to some other substanceest; , to St. Ignatius’s bean). “ Est nux,” says he, “ cujus color"odi» 1 Staucedinem et albedinem, major avellana parum et sunt in ea1 p ' To which he afterwards adds, “ movet vomitum from wliicliSu,ne the name of vomic, or vomiting nut, was originally derived.5()j)\ Ue also mentions nux-vomica. Avicenna (lib. 2 ndus . tract 2 ndus . cap.Hie n Sa ' s ’ nux-metliel “ est similis nuci vomicae.” It is probable thatVo,n ica " WeC ^ ^erapion dS the substance which we denominate nux-

v^Y. Gen. Char. —Calyx four- to five-parted. Corolla tubular,a s preading four- to five-cleft limb, and a valvate aestivation. Sta-. ° u r to five, inserted into the throat of the corolla, which is eithera. c c ° r hoarded. Ovary two-celled, with indefinite ovules attached to,,,,'lh-ul placenta; style one ; stigma capitate. Berry corticated, one-t'liq ’ ^any-seeded, or by abortion one-seeded. Seeds nidulant, dis-’ Albumen large, cartilaginous, almost divided into two plates.r y° with leafy cotyledons (Lindley).

Sp. Char. — Leaves opposite, three- and five-nerved, oval, lucid. Berries many-seeded(Roxburgh).

Middling-sized tree. Trunk short, oftencrooked, pretty thick; the branches irregular;the wood white, hard, and bitter. Leaves oppo-site, oval, shining, entire, three- to five-nerved.Corymbs small, terminal. Calyx five-toothed.Corolla funnel-shaped, greenish-white. Staminafive, inserted over the divisions of the corolla.Ovarium two-celled. Style the length of thecorolla. Stigma capitate. Berry round, smooth,.., no size of a pretty large apple, covered with a

somewhat hard, shell, of a rich orange-colour when ripe, filledof j. 51 white, soft, gelatinous pulp, which is greedily eaten by many sortsto a r< s - Seeds several, immersed in the pulp of the berry, and attached

P^ acenta -

j} B- "~Coromandel, and other parts of India ; Ceylon.tat e Scl{ n > TioN.—The seeds {nuces vomicae ) of commerce are round, pel-oi le ’ freely an inch in diameter, nearly flat, or very slightly convex ona ' lr 'ul G ’ an< ^ concave on the other, and are surrounded by a filiform,fr 0ln a f stria. From tlieir fancied resemblance to grey eyes, as well asny ffet t lG ' r being poisonous to crows, the Germans term them Krahen-th e h or crows’ eyes. In the centre of the ventral surface of the seed islc ular hilum or umbilicus.

>g. 182.

Sf;

Shi,

r y°ltnos Nux-vomica.