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Mateuia Medica. — Irisjlorentina. part ii.

somewhat chaffy pappus. The receptacle is reticulate andpapillous.

The roots of elecampane found in the shops, are generallyobtained from garden plants. They are fit for use in thesecond year of their growth ; and at this age are preferable tothe older roots, which become stringy and woody. Theyshould be dug up in autumn.

Qualities. — Elecampane root when dry has an aromatic, jetslightly foetid odour; and v,hen chewed, the taste is at firstdisagreeable, glutinous, and in some degree resembling that ofrancid soap ; then aromatic, bitter, and hot. Both water andalcohol extract its virtues : the tincture possessing more of thebitterness and pungency of the root than the watery infusion.The decoction, after standing some hours, deposits a whitepowder resembling starch in appearance; but its propertiesshow it to be a distinct principle; and it has therefore beennamed inulin. ' In distillation with water this root yields aconcrete flaky substance, which seems to hold an intermediateplace between camphor and volatile oil in its nature. -

Medical properties and i/ses. — Elecampane is usually rankedas a tonic; and supposed to possess deobstruent, diuretic, andexpectorant properties. It was formerly regarded as a remedyof great efficacy in dyspeptic affections, flatulencies, palsy,dropsies, uterine obstructions, and pulmonary complaints ; butCullen observed, that its diuretic powers were trifling; andcould not discover that it possessed any expectorant properties. 5It is scarcely ever used by the regular practitioner. The doseof the powdered root may be from 9j. to jjj.

IRIS.- Spec. Plant. Willd. i. 224.CI. 3. Ord. 1. Triandria Monogynia. Nat. ord, Ensatse, Linn.

Iridae, Juss.G. 97. Corolla six-parted ; the alternate segments reflected. Stig-mas petal-like.* Bearded with ensiform leaves.Species 7. \.jlorentina. b Florentine Iris. Med. Bot. 2d cd, i. 262.

Sibthorp Flora Grceca, 28. t. 39.Officinal. Iridis Florentine radix, Ediu. The root of Floren-tine Iris.

Syn. Iris dc Florence (F.), Violenwurzel (G-), Ireos (/.), Iris (&'■).

This species of iris, which is found in a wild state in Car-niola, the island of Rhodes, Laconia, and other places of thesouth of Europe, is cultivated in our gardens 6 ; flowering in

i This substance, which was first noticed and its properties investigated by Rose,was named by Dr. Thomson, System of Chemistry, 4th edit. iv. 697.

- Newman's Chem. by Lends, 2d edit. ii. 21C. 3 Mat. Med. ii. 459.

4 " Iris a ccelestis arcus similitudine nomen obtinuit." Dioscoiides,

s "lpts Theophrasti.

6 It was cultivated by Gerardein 1596.