294

Materia Medica.

part n.

the top: the universal umbels have seven or eight rays, aninch long, of a yellowish green colour: both the involucresand involucels consist of from four to six very short leaflets,frequently permanent. The fruit is flat.

In the Levant, where this plant grows, the milky juicewhich exudes from incisions made in the roots, and dried inthe sun, forms the opoponax of the shops. It is imported fromTurkey and India in chests; and is sometimes in tears ordrops, but more usually in irregular lumps.

Qualities. — Opoponax has a strong disagreeable smell anda bitter acrid taste. The masses are of a reddish yellow co-lour, speckled with white on the outside, paler within, andfrequently variegated with large white pieces. Its specific gra-vity is 1-622. 1 It appears to be a compound of gum, resin,starch, extractive, wax, malic acid, a trace of caoutchouc, *and essential oil. When triturated with water, about one halfof it dissolves, forming an opaque milky solution, which de-posits, on standing, a portion of resinous matter, and becomesyellowish. Alcohol acts feebly on it; and in distillation eitherwith it or with water, the odour of the opoponax is verystrongly communicated to the fluids, but scarcely any oil isobtained in a separate state.

Medical properties and uses.antispasmodic and emmenagogue, and asm hysteria and chlorosis; but it is very seldom ordered. Thedose may be from grs. x. to $fs.

PETROLEUM. Vide Bitumen.

PHASIANUS. Syst. Nat. Gmelin. i.737.CI. 1. Ord. 5. Aves, Gallinae.G. 101. Beak short, strong. Cheeks made smooth, with a naked

skin. Feet spurred.Species 1. P. GaUus. The Dunghill Fowl. Willd. Ornith. 154. Z.26.Officinal. Ova. Land. The Egg.

Syn. CEuf [F.) HuWrtier (G.) Ouvo (/.) Huevo (S.)

The common domestic fowl is too well known to requireany description. The country whence it originally came hasnot been correctly ascertained; although it is conjectured thatit was brought from Persia by the Phoenicians, about 500 yearsbefore the birth of Christ. 3 As an article of food it is theleast stimulating of animal substances; and the broth made ofthe young fowl or chicken is not only the best restorative dietfor the convalescent, but is also a useful diluent in cholera,

> Brisson. 2 Pelleiier, Ann. de Chim. lxix. p. 90.

3 British Zt olagy, i.360. There is a variety of ilie common fowl, named the Dork-ing Frwl, from being generally procured at Dorking, in Surry, which has two toesbehind instead of one. Another variety is found at Mozambique, and at Siam, nhifhhas the skin, bones, periosteum, and sometimes the flesh, quite black, and yes isesteemed good eating.

This gum resin is regarded assuch has been used

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