906

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

Fig. 182.

Fig. 183.

Nux-vomica.

Sections of Nux-r° rr>ica '

a. The convex surface. c. Transverse section of s ® e

b. The concave surface. d. Vertical section, ex P 0S . in .u 0 tv-

internal cavity, and * ufe

, ing the situation and o

of the embryo.

1 ftbro llS)

These seeds have two coats; the outer one, or testa, is simple* j oUf)and gives origin to short silky hairs, of an ash-grey or yellowishi c °' .

and which are directed from the centre towards the circunue .^j,Fig 184 within this is the inner coat, or endojdeura, ^

is simple, and very thin, and envelops the nuof the seed. -v,

This nucleus is composed of two parts B a ^albumen and embryo. The albumen iscartilaginous, or homy; of a dirty-whi te . c ^ 0 t,of an intensely bitter taste, and has, in its m 0 fa cavity ( loculamentum verum). Unlike t ^ amost seeds, the albumen of nux vomica jfl.-poisonous nature. The embryo, which iswhite, is seated in the circumference ot tn " j,jtits locality being frequently indicated by a fj-jjgsomewhat more projecting than the surr° un c „-parts. It consists of two large cordifon 11 ^minated, triple-ribbed, very thin cotyledons, jgtinct cauliculus, and a centripetal radicle ( i. e. a radicle directed to'the centre of the fruit). co^ e3!

The bark of the Strychnos nux-vomica ( nux-vomica bark',strychnos nucis vomica-, cortex angustura spuria seu falsa',pseudo-angustura seu virosa) occurs in quills or flat piecesfalsa convoluta seu plana), or in pieces arched backwards, haviHoj^,twisted appearance of dried horn. It is more compact and hea' y ^ areal angustura bark. The epidermis varies; sometimes it consist® ^dark fungoid, or spongy rust-coloured layer (hence the term anff u ^ ^ferruginea), which is only the altered epidermis; at other times it hthick, not fungous, but covered with numerous whitish prominences*^merly supposed to be some species of lichen ( Chiodecton ), but no" ’’ ^to be only an epidermoid alteration, a kind of leprous exuberanc ’ jymore advanced stage of which constitutes the rust-coloured layermentioned (Fee, Essai sur les Cryptog. des Ecorces exot. p- 1"’

The powder is intensely bitter, and of a yellowish-white colour.

Nux-vomica bark was formerly confounded with angustura or cusparia bark. re-name of false angustura bark. The history of the mistake is as follows:—1 11 bark’Rambach, a physician at Hamburgh, observed that some specimens of angus ^ scS otsaid to be from the East Indies, acted as a powerful poison ; and as repeate

. ........

Magnified view of a por-tion of the seed-coatsof nux-vomica.

a. Testa, with hairs at-

tached.

b. Endopleura.

c. Albumen.