This plant inhabits damp regions, or the borders of brooks. Its stem is erect, cylindrical, growing to a height of about six feet out of a rhizoma sending off numerous rootlets. It is provided with knots, whence arise large alternate clasping leaves, whose lanceolate limbs have strong midribs, sending off fine parallel transverse nerves. At its summit the stem bears the flower-bearing pedicels. Flowers alternate, on short peduncles, and accompanied by bracts. The corol has a double perianth, with three divisions adhering to the triangular, greenish and glandular ovary; the stamens present the changing characters so common in this family. We use the leaves.
An infusion of the leaves was recommended for the lepra; but this empirical application of the drug has been abandoned. 1. Whitish expectoration in the morning. Numbness at the instep. He dreams about doctors, treatment. Vertigo on waking. 5. Heat at the anus. Lancinations at the feet, legs and hands. Pain in the chest. Swelling of the fingers. Weakness of sight. 10. Itching of the skin. Weariness in the chest. Peeling off of the skin. Roughness in the throat. Excited sexual desire. 15. Too sudden emission of the semen, and without thrill. Heat at the ears. Constipation.
HEDYSARUM ILDEFONSIANUM. (Nobis.)
HED. DESMODIUM. PORTUG.: AMOR DO CAMPO. BARBA DE BOI. CARAPICHO. ENGL.: BURDOCK.
The brownish and ligneous stem of this plant is about three feet high; it is ramose, pubescent, especially above. Leaves alternate, pennate, trifoliate; folioles oval and slightly tomentose, on a hairy, bistipulate petiole. The flowers which are small and seated on filiform, unifloral peduncles, form loose, terminal spikes. Fruit oval, hairy, on bent peduncles, and attaching itself very intimately to clothes and to the hairy skin of animals, on which account the Brazilians call it barba de boi.
1. Painful tearing from the loins to the navel. This pain is less on the second day. Sudden appearance of a yellowish discharge from the urethra. No sleep for several nights. 5. Itching of the penis. Pain and pricking at the eyes. The fingers contract with pain. Redness and smarting at the penis. Diarrhœa. 10. Profuse urination. Pain in the upper and lower limbs. Smarting in the eye, with lachrymation. Redness of the sclerotica. Fever and rheumatic pains. 15. Constipation. Painful swelling of the penis, with erysipelatous inflammation. Thin stream of the urine, in consequence of the glans being swollen.
MYRISTICA SEBIFERA. (Swartz.)
MYR. VIROLA SEBIFERA (AUBLET). PORT.: UCUUBA.
This is a tree of some height, the trunk and branches of which are covered with a thick, brownish and reticulate bark. Leaves alternate, oblong, cordate, rather tomentose on their lower surface, and supported by short petioles. Flowers in tufted panicles, ramose, arising from the axil of the leaves or the extremities of the branches; they are dioïchous, with a simple, urceolate perigone having three divisions. Male flowers with six stamens, the filaments of which are attached to each other, and are inserted in a glandular disk. The female flowers are smaller, one unilocular, ovary, style wanting, stygma bilobed. Capsular berry, with two valves, containing an oleaginous seed, surrounded by an aril crenated above. This tree is found in the provinces of Para and Rio-Negro. We use the red juice which is acrid and very poisonous and is obtained by cutting into the bark.