The Materia Medic a.

136

againft fcrophulous tumours ; andlikewife internally, in epileptic dis-orders : what fervice they may becapable of doing in thefe cafes,we have no experience. Severalexamples are mentioned by me-dical writers of their occaiioningviolent vomiting, hypercatharfes,and difordering the whole con-ftitution ; infomuch that Boer-haave accounts them poifonous.Their taile is bitter and very nau-leous.

DORONICI ROMANI radix :Doronici radice fcorpii C. J]. Ro-man wolfsbane ; the root.

This grows fpontaneoufly onthe Alps, and in fundry places ofGermany. It has been greatlydifputed whether this plant is tobe ranked among the poifonous orfalutary ones : we fliall not hereenter into this controverfy ; ob-ferving only, that all the inten-tions, it has been recommendedfor, may certainly be anfwered byother medicines of no lefs effi-cacy, and known to be innocent;and that therefore the ufe of do-Tonicum may be very reafonablylaid afide : in this we are warrant-ed by common praftice, which hasnot for a long time paid any regardto it.

DORONICI GERMANICI,

feu Arnicar, folia et radix : Doroniciplar.taginis folio alterius C. B. Ger-man leopard/bane ; the leaves androot [£.]

This plant is a native of Ger-many. It has been efteemed a fpe-cific for refolving coagulated blood,but operates fo violently, that it israrely ufed. The dofe is faid tobe one or two pugils of theleaves, and, in fome cafes, of theroots.

DRACONTIUM : Dracuncu-

Part II.

lus polypbyllus C■ B. Arum polypbyl-lum Rivini. Dragons, or the many-leaved arum.

This is cultivated in gardens. Ithas fcarce any other medical diifer-ence from the common arum, thanbeing in all its parts fome what morepungent and acrimonious.

DRAKENA,

T 2RVA,

vide C ontra-

DULCAMAR j E, feu Amara-dulcis, folani lignoji, herb a, radix :Selani fcandetitis feu dulcamaraC. B. Bitterfweet, or woodynightlhade ; the herb and roots

[*'•] . ,

This plant grows wild in moift

hedges, and climbs on the bufhes

with woody brittle ftalks. The

taile of the twigs and roots, as the

name of the plant expreffes, is

both bitter and fweet; the bitter-

nefs being firft perceived, and the

fweetnefs afterwards. They are

commended as deobftrucnts, for

refolving coagulated blood, &c.

and are faid to occafion generally

fome confiderable evacuation by

fvveat, urine, or Itool, particularly

the latter.

EBULI folia, cortex, radix : Saut-l-uci humilisfive ebuli C. B. Dwarfelder, or danewort; the root, bark,and leaves [-E.]

This plant grows wild in fomecounties of England ; but aboutLondon is rarely met with, unlefsin gardens : the eye diftinguifheslittle difference betwixt it and theelder tree, except in the Jize.; theelder being a pretty large tree,and the dwarf elder only an herbthree or four feet high. The leaves,roots, and bark of ebulus have anaufeous, lharp, bitter tafte, anda kind of acrid ungrateful fmell :they are all ftrong cathartics, andas fuch are recommended in drop-

fies,