Dbsoription. — Root cylindrical, reddish-brown, with many fibres; stem upright, hairy, branched, one to three feet high. Leavea soft, pionate, netted, bright green above, glaucous beneath, with large trifld terminal lobea; tip oval, sinnate, or crenafe; petioles winged, hairy. Flowers of four petals, yellow, in four-to-ninc-flowered axillary cymes, each flower with a peduncle and bract; petals nearly round; calys of two convex, green, deciduous, nearly smooth sepals; stamens twenty; divergent, equal. Fruit a siliquose, n'. any .seeded, knotty capsule, with two carpels. Seeds shining, blackish-brown, with little pits. Duration, perennial. There are, besides, but two species known as yet — one of which grows in Japan {Ch. Japanicum, Thumberg), and one in North America (Ch. di- phyllum, Mich.) In the whole of Europe no other plant grows wliich, when injured, gives out golden-yellow milk; and from this peculiarity, no plant is so well known to every village child. The milk of the root has a redder tinge than elsewhere. This fluid is contained in special canals which reticulate over the leaves and open into main vessels along the ribs. Schnltz first made known the movement of the juice, called by him Cyclosis. If a recently gathered tender leaf be placed nnder a good microscope, one can see the reticulated canals colored by the yellow juice, and plainly disUnguish the slow movement of the fluid, whilst crowds of globules pass tJiroTigh tlie petioles dbyGoogle CHELIDONIUM MAJUS. 179 If a leaf he torn across, the yellow juice issues in drops out of the larger veins on both sides of the ribs. On the akin the juice makes yellow spofs, which oa drying turn hrown- iah-biack, and also colors the dried root black. The smell of the recent plant is disagreeable; tlie ta«te sharp and bit- terish, especially of the root. On drying, it almost entirely loses the smell. The milk, when dry, tastes more hitter than sharp. After chewing the plant, the taste remains for several hours, and gives a sensation of heat in the mouth, tiiroat, and stomach. Eight pouuds of the fresh plant lose one pound eight ounces by drying in the shade. OFFictNAL Prefakation, — Tincture of the whole plant; dilutions. Abaumjcbb. — Agm-imis, jSJeetdut, Bryonia, China, OardvMS, Dioicorea, J/yecpodium, LtjttaaidTit, Mevawrma, Sux vomioa. Podophyllum, Phosphorus, Bnlphmr, Sanguinaria, Myrica. Mental Sphere. DepreasioQ of spirits; extraordinary dejection. Incapacity for thoiight. Cross, quarrelsome disposition, {p.) Great calmness of spirits and cheerfulness, (s.) ° liestlessness and tineasy conscience, as if she had committed a great crime and could find rest nowhere. " She thinks she must die. " Thinking becomes difficult to her, and she easily forgets what she wants to do or has done.