drachm of the juice, in six ounces of water, may be taken with entire safety.

Dr. Withering, as quoted by Dr. Pulteney in the Linnæan transactions, asserts, that the distilled water of Ranunculus flammula is an emetic more instantaneous and less offensive than sulphate of zinc. I know not in what publication of Dr. W. this statement is made, but the fact appears to me not improbable. Acrid substances, such as mustard, pepper, and horse-radish, if swallowed in large quantities, excite the stomach to relieve itself by vomiting. An objection, however, exists against the distilled water, owing to the uncertainty of its strength; which must vary in proportion to the quantity of the plant employed, the time occupied in distillation, and the subsequent time for which the fluid is kept.

Krapf states that R. auricomus and R. lanuginosus are so free from acrimony, that they are eaten as greens or sallads. All the species lose their pungency in boiling, so that even the R. sceleratus, one of the most acrid, is used for the same purpose.

Grazing cattle generally avoid the plants of this genus, which grow among grass, as far as it is possible for them to do it. Accordingly we observe the flowers of Ranunculi left untouched,

while the grass is closely cropped around them. It is nevertheless unavoidable, so common are these plants, that portions of them should be eaten very often by these animals. It is probable that small quantities of the less acrid sorts do them no injury. At least, it appears that their stomachs are much less susceptible to this kind of stimulus than ours. In the Pan Suecus some experiments upon these plants, with domestic animals, are detailed; in which, it is stated that, horned cattle refused to eat all the species when offered to them, except R. auricomus. species was rejected by horses, while they would eat R. flammula. Sheep and goats eat the R. acris, one of the most pungent species. Dr. Pulteney states, as a well known fact, that hogs, in England, devour the roots of R. bulbosus. How it is that these animals resist the deleterious effects of so virulent plants, it is not easy to say. It is, however, a not more remarkable fact, than the power of some animals to devour Cantharides and even mineral poisons with impunity.*

This

In their dry state, various species of Ranunculus enter into the composition of hay, particularly R. acris. Having lost their acrimony altogether in drying, they are harmless and probably nutritive.

See a note, vol. i. p. 164.

Dr. Pulteney has published a memoir in the Linnæan transactions on the economical use of some of the Ranunculi, particularly the R. fluviatilis, which he considers a variety of R. aquatilis. Contrary to the common effects of the other species, this plant is said, by him, to be not only innocent, but highly nutritive to cattle. He states that, "in the neighbourhood of Ringwood, on the borders of the Avon, which affords this vegetable in great abundance all the year, some of the cottagers sustain their cows, and even horses, almost wholly upon this plant; since the remaining part of their food is nothing more than a scanty pittance, they get on the adjacent heath, which affords little more than Ling, Lichen, Bogmoss or Sphagnum, &c. It is usual to employ a man to collect a quantity for the day every morning, and bring it in the boat to the edge of the water, from which the cows, in the instance seen, stood eating it with great avidity. I was indeed informed," says he, "they relished it so highly, that it was unsafe to allow them more than a certain quantity; I think between twenty five and thirty pounds daily, each; but with variation according to circumstances. The cows I saw were apparently not in a mean condition, and gave a sufficient quantity of good milk. I

was told by the person whose cattle were feeding on it, that he kept five cows and one horse so entirely on this plant and what the heath afforded, that they had not consumed half a ton of hay throughout the whole year; none being used except when the river was frozen over. I examined the whole parcel on which four cows were feeding, in the beginning March, and found the whole consisted exclusively of the Ranunculus fluviatilis without any mixture of the Potamoge ton, Carex, Sparganium, or other aquatic plants. In summer, however, it can hardly be avoided but that there must be a mixture of some of these, but other plants are not chosen.

"This account was confirmed to me by differ ent persons; by whom I was further informed that hogs are also fed with the same plant, on which they improve so well, that it is not necessary to allow them other sustenance, till it is proper to put them up to fatten."

In Veterinary practice the Ranunculus bulbosus has been employed as an external stimulant. To this purpose Dr. Chapman, in bis Therapeutics, thinks it may be better adapted than other topical excitants.

BOTANICAL REFERENCES.

Ranunculus bulbosus, LINN. Sp. pl.-CURTIS, Flora Lond. i. 38. -MARTYN, Flora rustica, t. 28.-SMITH, Flora Britt. 591.-Engl. Bot. t. 515.-MICHAUX, i. 321.-PURSH, ii. 393.-Ranunculus tuberosus magor, J. BAUHIN, iii. 417.-Ranunculus pratensis, &c.EDER, Fl. Dan. t. 515.

MEDICAL REFERENCES.

MURRAY, Apparatus, Med. iii. 88.-KRAPF. Ranunculi. Vienna, 1766.-LEWIS, Mat. Med. ii. 262.-B. S. BARTON, 23.-PULTENEY, Lin. transactions, v. 14.-CHAPMAN, Therapeutics, ii. 411.

PLATE XLVII.

Fig. 1. Ranunculus bulbosus, the radical leaf of the largest size and more subdivided than common.

Fig. 2. Radical leaf of smaller size and more common shape.

Fig. 3. Petal and nectary.

Fig. 4. Two stamens enlarged.

Fig. 5. Fruit,