Flora Medica

MYRICACEJE.nearly white. They consist of a hard stone inclosing a dicotyledonouskernel. This stone is studded on its outside with small black grainsresembling fine gunpowder, over which is a crust of dry white wax,fitted to the grains and giving the surface of the fruit a granulatedappearance. Bigelow. Bark of the root acrid and astringent, in largedoses producing vomiting accompanied by a burning sensation ;costivenessgenerally follows its use. The powder stimulating and very acrid.The fruit is covered with a waxy aromatic secretion which may becollected and purified, and which is used for many of the purposes forwhich beeswax and candles are employed. It has occasionally beenused in pharmacy in various compositions intended for external use,and is mild or stimulating according as it is more or less pure. Higelow.COMPTONIA.$ A . cylindrical loosely imbricated catkin, with deciduous1 -flowered bracts. Sepals 2. Stamens 6, adhering in pairs.5 . Catkins ovate, densely imbricated, with 1 -flowered bracts.Sepals 6 larger than the bracts. Styles 2, capillary. Nut1 -seeded.630. C. asplenifolia Ait. Kew. iii. 334. Willd. iv. 320. Pur*h.fl. am. sept. ii. 635. Liquidambar asplenifolium Linn. sp.pi. 14-18. Mountains and woods of the United States. (Sweetfern.)A small bush, 3-4 feet high, yielding a powerful aromatic fragrancewhen rubbed. Leaves long, linear, pinnatifid, brown and rather downyon the under side, shining on the upper, the lobes almost in the form ofa right angled triangle the apex of which has been rounded off with theperpendicular next the upper end of the A leaf. tonic and astringent.In North America it is a favourite domestic remedy in the cure ofdiarrhoea.306