480
RANUNCULUS.
ASTRINGENT SYRUP. (SaINTE-MARIe)
R. Lopez Root, cut small, one ounce.
Boiling Water, two pounds.
Digest in hot ashes for forty-eight hours;
then hoil slowly till reduced to one half.
Strain this and dissolve in it,
White Sugar, one pound,
and boil to a syrup. — Dose, six spoonfuls,in the course of the day.
ASTRINGENT ELECTUARY. (SaINTE-
Marie)R. Lopez Root, two drams.
Conserve of Red Roses, 1 of each,Hips, J two ounces.
Syrup of Gum, a sufficient quantity.
Mix. — Dose, a tea-spoonful, twice orthrice a day.
astringent tincture. (Sainte-Marie)
R. Lopez Root, one dram and a half.
Alcohol, two ounces and a half.
Digest and filter.
Dose, a tea-spoonful, thrice a day, in anyproper vehicle.
RANUNCULUS.
Six species of this genus of plants areused in medicine :
1. Ranunculus acris, Linn. — Upright
Crow-foot.
Synonimes : — Renoncule acre, Fr. ;Scharfer Hahnenfuss, Germ.
Bruns. ; Hisp. ; Gall. ; Guibourt ;Murray and Gmelin ; Spielmann.
A very common plant of Europe. (Po-lyandria Polygyria, Linn. ; Ranunculáceas,Juss. ; Fig, Flore Medic. VI. 294)
The herb and flowers are employed.
The herb (Herba Ranunculi sen Ranun-culi acris seu pratensis) consists of leavesdivided into three lobes, and these againmuch subdivided ; the superior are linear.
The flowers are yellow.
2. Ranunculus aquatilis, Linn.
Synonimes :— Renoncule aquatique, Fr. ;Wasserhahnenfuss, Wasserhaehnlein,Germ.
Hisp.
A plant of Europe. {Fig, CEd. Fl. Dan.t. 376)
The herb and flowers are employed.
The herb consists of leaves, some finelycut into capillary segments, others entireand peltate. It has an acrid taste.
The flowers are white.
3. Ranunculus bulbosus, Linn. — Bulbous
Crow-foot ; Butter Cup.
Synonimes: — Renoncule bulbeuse, Fr.;Knolliger Hahnenfuss, Germ. ; Knoll-wartige ranonkel, Dut. ; Solvifear,Swed.
Gall. ; Guibourt ; Murray and Gme-lin.
A common plant of Europe. [Fig. Œd.Fl. Dan. t. 351)
The root and herb are employed.
The root [Bulbus Ranunculi bulbosi) issimple, round, tuberculous, and white.The herb consists of a straight stem and ofcompound leaves.
The whole plant is extremely acrid.
4. Ranunculus sceleratus, Linn. — MarshCrow-foot.
Synonimes :— Renoncule des marais, Fr.;Giftiger Hahnenfuss, Froscheppich,Feigblatterneppich, Germ. ; Puggepeber,Dan. ; Ranúnculo mulvado, Span. ; Wa-terhaanevoet, Dut.
Gall. ; Coxe ; Guibourt; Murray andGmelin.
A plant of Europe, common in marshyplaces. [Fig. Blackw. Herb. t. 259)
The herb [Herba Ranunculi palustris seuaquatici) is employed. It consists of aglabrous, fistulous, and very branchingstem, and of caulinary, petiolated, roundedglabrous leaves, half cut into three incisedor crenelated lobes, smooth, and of a light-green colour, and into caulinary leaves cutmore deeply, narrower, linear, and digitateor palmate.
This species is one of the most acrid andirritant poisons ; it is considered by someauthors as the Herba Sardoa of Sallust,from the name of which we derive the de-signation of sardonic given to the apparentlaughter which is produced by the spasmo-dic contraction of the muscles of the mouthand cheeks, which the use of this plantexcites.